How to Drink Less During the Holidays

For many people, particularly young adults, holiday celebrations don’t feel complete without a festive drink—or maybe two or three. Whether it’s a holiday meal with family or a New Year’s Eve cocktail party, seasonal events are often inseparable from alcohol consumption.

Stress can also play a role in holiday drinking. Coming home for the holidays after living independently can be hard for young adults, triggering holiday regression and increased alcohol use. This time of year also tends to bring up difficult family dynamics, as well as grief related to divorce, breakups, or relatives who have passed away.

Unfortunately, drinking—either as a coping mechanism or as a way to celebrate—can backfire in terms of physical health, relationships, and mental health. Read on to learn how college students and other young adults can monitor their holiday drinking so it doesn’t get out of control. 

What You’ll Learn

• Why do young adults drink more during the holidays?
• What are the negative consequences of drinking to excess?
• How can young adults control holiday drinking?
• How do you know if you have alcohol use disorder?

Stats on Holiday Drinking Among Young Adults

Not surprisingly, drinking increases among most age groups during the holiday season. According to a recent survey, 65 percent of Gen Z report drinking more alcohol than usual during the holidays. The survey found that 42 percent of young adults consumed 3–4 drinks on the day of a holiday, 16 percent consumed 5–6 drinks, and 13 percent consumed more than 6 drinks. 

Additionally, 47 percent of men and 40 percent of women report binge drinking on New Year’s Eve. For men, binge drinking equates to drinking five or more alcoholic beverages in two hours. For women, binge drinking equates to four or more drinks within the same time frame.

New Year’s Eve is also associated with high percentages of blackout drinking: 27.3 percent of men and 16.7 percent of women drank to the point that they had difficulty recalling the event the next day. In general, men tend to binge-drink at higher rates than women.

The Negative Consequences of Holiday Drinking 

Increased alcohol consumption during the holiday season can lead to both short- and long-term consequences. Here are some of the negative impacts of drinking too much during the holidays.

Relationship Conflicts

Holiday drinking usually takes place with relatives or close friends. Lowered inhibitions open the door to emotional interactions—and these aren’t always sentimental. About 1 in 5 young adults report experiencing distress due to drinking-related incidents, such as a physical fight or heated argument. 

Drinking and Driving

Alcohol-impaired crashes involving young adults are more common in December, according to stats from the US Department of Transportation. In a 2022 study, drivers ages 21–34 accounted for the highest percentage (25 percent) of alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes in December. 

8 Tips for How to Drink Less During the Holidays

To drink less during this time, young adults need to have a plan in place for avoiding drinking triggers and substituting healthy activities. Here are some approaches.

#1: Uncover Your Motivation

It’s easier to monitor your alcohol intake during the holiday season if you know why you’re doing it. Think about your short- and long-term goals.

Do you want to go into the new year feeling healthy and without regrets? Maybe you want to drink less during the holidays in order to strengthen family connections and avoid negative interactions. Or you might make it your mission to savor the season free of the haze created by excessive alcohol intake. 

#2: Identify Your Triggers

Is there a particular relative who pushes your buttons? Are you stressed out by being back in your family home? Does seeing old friends and visiting your high school haunts resurface old patterns that aren’t serving you?

When you understand your triggers, you can take steps to plan for them or avoid them altogether.

#3: Set Limits for Holiday Events

Try setting guidelines beforehand on how much you’ll drink on various holiday occasions. This could involve what’s known as low-risk alcohol use. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines low-risk alcohol use as no more than two drinks per day for men and one per day for women.

Another option is to follow the 20-minute rule—take a 20-minute break after you’ve finished one drink before getting another one.

#4: Be Prepared for Peer Pressure

If you’re not drinking or you’re limiting your drinking for the holidays, be ready to calmly resist offers of alcohol. You can say, “I’m not drinking tonight,” “I’ve had enough,” or “I’m sober.” 

Use a white lie if you feel you have to: Blame it on medications you’re taking, like antibiotics or cold and flu medications that interact negatively with alcohol. Do what you need to do in order to reduce your alcohol intake.

#5: Opt for Mocktails

If you’re concerned about going overboard, have one drink and then switch to mocktails (non-alcoholic drinks). Or skip the alcohol altogether and start with mocktails. There are lots of non-alcoholic options that will allow you to enjoy sipping something sweet and celebratory.

If you’re hosting a holiday event, be sure to provide appealing alcohol alternatives for yourself and anyone else who may be abstaining. Make it fun and flavorful so you don’t feel like you’re missing out.

#6: Plan Celebrations That Don’t Center Around Alcohol 

Fill your holiday calendar with activities that don’t involve drinking. Get friends together for an afternoon of ice skating, mini golf, or a movie followed by hot cocoa. Recruit family members to volunteer with you at a food pantry or to deliver holiday meals.

Or you can schedule outdoor group activities, like hiking, skiing, or going to a holiday light show. You could even create your own alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration, with board games, dancing, and mocktails.

#7: Find Positive Ways to Manage Holiday Stress

When they’re overwhelmed by holiday pressure, feel irritated by relatives, or want to loosen up in social situations, some young adults turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism. Hence, drinking less during the holidays may require finding new ways to manage stress. Maintaining healthy habits and setting boundaries with family can also help.

In addition, exercise is one of the best options because it promotes the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Mind-body approaches such as meditation, tai chi, and yoga also alleviate stress.

#8: Access Support 

Young adults with an alcohol use disorder may need to set themselves up with additional support during this triggering time. Schedule a mid-holidays check-in with your therapist or mentor. Attend a 12-step meeting like Alcoholics Anonymous.

If you know you tend to drink too much during the holidays, or at other times, but haven’t accessed professional support yet, now’s the time to do so. Contact your local healthcare provider or call Newport Institute to find out about resources in your area.

How Can You Tell If You Have an Alcohol Problem?

Alcohol addiction looks different for different people. Some people can drink just once a month but can’t stop when they start. Others can drink more often but have no problem monitoring their intake.

Essentially, people with an alcohol use disorder can’t control their alcohol consumption, even when they try to. And they keep drinking despite the negative impact on their relationships, grades, health, and other aspects of their life. 

Signs of Alcohol Use Disorder

There are specific criteria for alcohol use disorder listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Whether your disorder is characterized as mild, moderate, or severe depends on how many criteria you meet. Some of these include:

• Drinking more alcohol than you intended to drink on more than one occasion
• Cutting back on or giving up activities you enjoy in order to drink
• Continuing to drink alcohol even though it makes you feel anxious or depressed, or makes a health problem worse
• Craving alcohol—wanting a drink so badly you can’t think about anything else
• Suffering from withdrawal symptoms like shakiness, nausea, sweating, or trouble sleeping when the effects of alcohol wear off

If you find yourself repeatedly binging, experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms, or can’t stop drinking even though you’ve tried, you might need professional treatment. 

Newport Institute’s Treatment for Young Adult Alcohol Use Disorder and Mental Health Issues 

At Newport Institute, we treat the underlying causes of alcohol use disorder and the mental health issues that typically accompany AUD. We help young adults to address both underlying causes and co-occurring issues, like depression, anxiety, and disordered eating.

Our integrated approach supports young people ages 18–35 to process past trauma and develop healthy coping skills. At Newport Institute, alcohol addiction and mental health treatment includes individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, life skills programming, and experiential activities like Adventure Therapy, yoga, art, and music (depending on location). 

Newport’s nationwide residential treatment programs provide a supportive environment that allows young adults to immerse themselves in treatment, away from stressors and triggers. By treating the whole person, we guide young adults to find long-term recovery. Contact us today to find out more and schedule a free assessment. 

Frequently Asked Questions