redwigwam sponsors efforts to address responsible drinking
By: Fatmir, redwigwam
COVID 19 can be blamed for keeping many of us from returning to normal routines and behaviours. We were forced to quarantine, and life as we knew it came to a grinding halt for over a year.
And between loneliness and isolation, some of our habits changed for the worse.
But now that life is starting to return to some level of normality, it’s time to look at some of the bad habits we may have acquired during the pandemic – and how we can make changes to them.
So, let’s talk about excessive drinking.
Here at redwigwam, we are making efforts to promote drinking responsibly and ensuring our community understands how to know their limits – and what do to if they feel their drinking habit is out of control.
The importance of drinking responsibly
A recent YouGov poll showed that 2/3 of regular drinkers would have more difficulty cutting down on their drinking than improving their diet or exercising.
Yet excessive drinking can impact every facet of your life.
There’s lots of research out there on this – www.drinkaware.com is a great resource and has some brilliant articles on the health effects of alcohol and how alcohol can affect your relationships.
It’s also important to be aware of the law around alcohol consumption – and of course surrounding driving while under the influence of alcohol.
Here at redwigwam, we want to stress the importance of drinking responsibly and to motivate everyone to take alcohol consumption very seriously.
We are promoting smart choices because we value the human factor that keeps our redwigwam community great.
And if you need help, we want to do whatever we can to provide that.
Yes, we know that wine and spirits are part of an adult lifestyle, and we don’t intend to dedicate this blog to alcohol abstinence. But we do want everyone to think and be realistic. We want to help promote drinking responsibly among our staff, our workers, our supporters, and our customers and friends.
In fact, it is part of our code, part of our CSR.
At redwigwam, we want to be approachable if anyone feels like they need help with alcohol. We will always support our teams.
Staying safe around alcohol
As a goal towards drinking responsibly, redwigwam wants you to stay safe from falling into compromising situations with alcohol. Several advertised positions on redwigwam involve working in situations that involve delivering or catering alcohol.
If you already acknowledge you have a problem with alcohol, these types of positions are probably not for you. If you have no choice but to work in an environment involving alcohol, we’d please reach out for extra help and support.
In terms of controlling your drinking, here are some things to consider when you are out with friends:
- Establish a drinking goal and stick to it. Drinking goals can include limiting alcohol to weekends, cutting down on your overall consumption, or simply learn how to enjoy a drink at a party and stay within established limits you know are safe.
Don’t forget that once you’ve had an alcoholic drink, you are much more likely to disregard your own rules – so be aware of this, and the consequences of your actions. - Never drink and drive. Make sure you have arrangements in place for getting home if you are drinking – and remember you may well still be over the limit the next morning. Know when to stop and know when it is time to leave.
- Pace yourself. Sometimes it is not the amount of alcohol your drink, but how much you consume in a short amount of time. Pace your drinking throughout the night and avoid binge drinking, which is defined as having no more than eight units of alcohol for men and six units for women. To put this in perspective, it takes only 2-3 pints of beer to equal six units.
It’s a good idea to drink water or a soft drink between alcoholic drinks – and remember your measures, especially if you are drinking at home or a friend’s house. - Purchase small amounts of your favourite alcoholic beverage so you are not tempted to drink excessively. Half-sized bottles or smaller cans are readily available.
- Understand the effects of your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Everyone’s BAC is different. What may be your limit could be defined as drinking excessively for your best friend.
To monitor your BAC, there is a great tool on www.responsibility.org (app also available) which gives an estimate of your BAC based on age, weight, gender, height and what you have consumed. The Virtual Bar App can be downloaded from iTunes and Google Play so you can access it anytime while you are out.
Recognise if you have a drinking problem
No one knows your weaknesses and capabilities better than you. If drinking becomes a problem, you will know it. Don’t make up excuses; seek help when you feel you need it.
redwigwam can help to provide resources to get you back on track. If you do feel you need assistance, please contact our community team who will point you in the right direction.
