Your Recommended Low-Risk Threshold for drinking is an important part of determining how much you are likely to become dependent on alcohol. The recommended limit is one drink per day for men and two drinks per week for women. This amount is the equivalent of one or two beers for men and four or five pints of white wine for women.

If you are planning to start drinking it is always wise to make a solid plan first. Start by calculating the time you have been drinking and how much you plan to drink in the future. If you are not very sure about the calculations make an educated guess at the maximum amount that you can consume without getting dependent. Your friend or spouse may be able to offer some useful guidance.

Determine your Personal Safe Threshold for drinking.

This will be the limit that you impose yourself and your friends and family will impose on you. Many people start drinking with friends and this works fine if everyone is aware of the limits and know what to expect. However, if you are drinking alone it is probably a better idea to make up a Safe Threshold yourself.

You should also consider your environment. If you are surrounded by alcohol and other tempting distractions such as smokers and grills then you are at much higher risk of developing a dependency. It is also important to remember that alcohol has more stimulating qualities than food and should not be consumed with meals. Also, try not to eat a lot after drinking as your body will probably start to get used to the caffeine level in your bloodstream and could start to adjust your tolerance to alcohol.

There are. Try not to have more than one drink per day and choose your times to have them carefully. Try not to invite people over to have drinks with you, even if they may have been invited. When you are sober, you will find that there is far less of a chance that you will have an accident or get hurt if you have one drink. Remember to always have a designated driver.

The only real way to lower your risk is by stopping altogether or using one of the many methods that exist that allow you to limit how much you drink. Make sure that if you do drink, that you keep your limit and always keep a designated driver. Also, be aware that if you have had one drink per day for one year you will be considered an alcoholic and your doctor will be able to tell you your level of risk for alcohol based on your age and your medical history.