Christmas is a magical time of year for the young and old alike, but December can also be a month where we find ourselves unintentionally binge drinking. Work dos, nights out with old friends and family get-togethers can take an alcohol shaped theme, leaving even usually sensible drinkers feeling worse for wear.

The obvious answer is to cut down, but peer pressure from vodka swilling friends can make it tough. That’s why we’ve put together some simple and factually accurate excuses for not binge drinking, making it easy for even the weakest of willed to say “no”.

1. “It’s fattening and I’d rather have another mince pie”
This excuse is perfect for the health conscious and is impossible to debate. No matter what kind of alcohol it is, it is bound to be calorie laden. Not only is alcohol packed with calories, but they’re empty calories too, which means consuming them has no nutritional value.

With 88 calories in just one shot of cream liqueur (25ml), you can imagine what frequent binge drinking over the festive season can have on your waistline. Supposedly “low calorie”, vodka doesn’t fare much better, with 56 calories per 25ml measure. That means that if you drank four double vodka and cokes you’d have consumed 700 calories, which is equal to an entire pizza.

2. “I’ve already had my weekly units”
There are many reasons to stick to the government’s recommended alcohol limit per day/week (from reducing the chance of suffering from alcohol related illness to stopping alcohol affecting your appearance), and it needn’t be as restricting as you think. The recommendation is that men should not regularly exceed 3-4 units a day, while women should stick to 2-3 units a day. An average strength pint of beer contains 2.27 units, while a medium strength wine contains 1.5 units in a small glass or 3 units in a large. It’s fine to have a little more on special occasions, though more than 6 units in one session is considered to be binge drinking.

3. “I can’t really afford it with Christmas presents still to buy”
Christmas is a time for giving, but you won’t be giving much if you’ve blown all your cash on binge drinking, especially if you’re in London, where the average cocktail costs £7 and a pint of beer close to £4. Even outside of the capital the cost of alcohol is high, so why not consider a different kind of evening with friends. Coming together to wrap gifts, decorate the tree and exchange secret santa gifts are suitably festive activities, while a dinner party gives everyone a chance to catch up and needn’t be expensive if you ask everyone to bring a course.

4. “I’m hungover and don’t want to feel worse”
A popular misconception is that drinking when you’re hungover “kick starts” your liver and makes you feel better, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Drinking on top of a hangover makes your already overworked liver work even harder, putting a huge strain on your body and potentially causing permanent damage if you do this regularly.

Obviously the best way to avoid a hangover is to avoid binge drinking, but unfortunately this doesn’t always happen. If you have drunk a bit too much the night before, stick to soft drinks to rehydrate and banish that pounding headache. Enjoying a meal together is a great evening or lunchtime activity which doesn’t need to involve drinking and can help replace nutrients lost from the previous evening’s drinking.

5. “I want to look good for this party I’m going to”
Ironically, although alcohol can make you feel more attractive while you’re drinking it, it actually has a negative impact on your appearance, both long term and short term. After binge drinking your skin (which is the body’s largest organ) can appear pale, grey and tired, while eyes take on a blood shot effect.

In the longer term, consumption of alcohol, which has high calorie content, can contribute to weight gain and binge drinking is also linked to rosacea, which leaves skin looking red and uneven.

Author Bio: Drinkaware is an independent UK charity which promotes responsible alcohol consumption and raises awareness of the dangers of binge drinking

Category: Advice
Keywords: binge drinking, christmas drinking, calories in alcohol