The benefits of cutting back on the booze

Russ Thorne looks at how reducing your alcohol intake by even a small amount can make a positive difference to your fitness, finances – and maybe your future

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The stereotype of the perma-sozzled student may well be just that: a stereotype. A recent survey from the Office for National Statistics found that young people are less likely to have consumed alcohol in the last week than those who are older.

The picture at some universities reflects these findings. “It’s fair to say that we see much more of a mix in our student population these days,” says Gareth Hughes, Psychotherapist and Researcher at the University of Derby. He suggests that the image of the hard drinking student owes more to students of the past than the current generation. “We hear that a lot of students don’t want to be involved in that lifestyle.”

Hughes suggests that these students are more interested in other activities (a report from Demos bears this out, pointing to health and fitness as a more popular choice for some). However, he acknowledges that drinking remains a part of student life for others, sometimes too much so. “For those students who do find it difficult we provide support from our Psychological Wellbeing and Health and Wellbeing teams.”

If you do drink and are looking for advice on managing your intake – particularly during boozier periods, such as holidays or post-exams - your university can often help, with institutions like Derby offering advice on a reasonable intake and the health risks involved in over-indulging.

Those risks are real, even to young people, particularly as drink can sneak up on us, says Lizzie Sabine, Health and Wellbeing Co-ordinator at UWE Bristol. “The odd drink in the evening can quickly become two or three regular drinks, most evenings.”

The trouble is that drink sneaks up on our bodies, too. “It can give our organs a hard time,” Sabine continues. “Regularly drinking over the guidelines can lead to serious health problems, from liver damage to a greater risk of getting cancer or having a heart attack.” Alcohol can also be highly calorific (almost 400 calories in a pint of Guinness, 433 in a single vodka and coke, according to Drinkaware https://www.drinkaware.co.uk), “so it can help to give you a bit of a spare tyre.”

A few simple substitutions can help you cut back without abstaining completely. Switching to diet mixers can cut calories, for example, or you can alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones (water is best as it will hydrate you, isn't loaded with sugar and is free). “If you drink every day, you could try having at least a couple of booze-free nights each week,” says Sabine.

Cutting down on alcohol can bring some great rewards, not least of which is a clearer head to focus on your studies when you need to. But there are others, Sabine concludes. “Not only will it mean a reduced risk to your health, but you could look better, feel better and have more time and cash to spend on doing other things.”