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Not drinking alcohol at all, either for a set period or permanently. For some people it is the right long-term goal, particularly where there is dependence. For many others it works better as an occasional choice, such as a week or a month off, than as a permanent rule.
The percentage of a drink that is pure alcohol, printed on every label. A 13% wine is 13% alcohol by volume. The higher the ABV, the more units in each glass, which is why a large glass of strong red can hold more than three units.
A condition where repeated drinking creates a strong drive to drink and makes controlling alcohol use increasingly difficult. Tolerance and withdrawal symptoms can also develop. It is different from a strong habit, although the two can feel similar from the inside. If you get shaky, sweaty or anxious when you go without a drink, speak to your GP before cutting down.
Under current UK government labelling guidance, a drink labelled alcohol-free should contain no more than 0.05% ABV. This is guidance rather than law, and the government has committed to consulting on raising the threshold to 0.5% to match much of Europe. Check the label if the exact figure matters to you.
Drinking in a way you choose and control, usually within or close to the low-risk guidelines. Alcohol stays part of your life without running it. UK clinical guidance recognises moderate drinking as a valid goal for many people who are not dependent.
What happens when someone drinks enough in a short time to affect breathing, heart rate, body temperature and gag reflex. Signs include confusion, vomiting, slow or irregular breathing, pale or blue-tinged skin, and being impossible to wake. It is a medical emergency: call 999 and never leave the person to sleep it off.
Drinking less than you do now, whether that means fewer drinking days, smaller amounts, or both. It covers anything from a small trim to a significant change and does not need a set end point.
When your body adapts to regular drinking so the same amount has less effect. Needing more to feel the same is a sign your drinking has crept up, and higher tolerance does not mean less harm to your body. Tolerance usually falls again when you cut back.
The umbrella term used in UK clinical guidance for higher-risk drinking and alcohol dependence. It describes drinking that is already causing harm or has become hard to control, and it is assessed by a clinician. Many people who want to drink less would not meet the criteria.
An older, informal term for alcohol dependence. Clinicians now use alcohol dependence or alcohol use disorder instead, which describe a range of severity rather than a yes-or-no label.
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, a ten-question questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization and used by GPs across the UK. Scores run from 0 to 40: up to 7 is lower risk, 8 to 15 increasing risk, 16 to 19 higher risk, and 20 or more suggests possible dependence. The WHO describes the two middle bands as hazardous and harmful drinking.
Drinking out of habit rather than a decision made at the time, such as pouring a glass the moment you get home without remembering choosing to. The habit runs before conscious thought catches up, which is why willpower alone struggles to stop it.
Drinking a lot in one session. The NHS defines it as more than 8 units in a session for men and more than 6 for women, and 6 units is two large glasses of wine. You can stay within 14 units a week and still binge if those units go into one night.
A gap in memory caused by drinking, where you were awake and functioning but your brain did not store what happened. It is different from passing out. Blackouts are more likely when blood alcohol rises quickly, for example drinking fast or on an empty stomach.
The amount of alcohol in your bloodstream at a given moment, which drink-drive limits are based on. Breathalysers measure the alcohol in your breath, which closely reflects it. The limit is 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 50mg in Scotland. Food, body size, sex and drinking speed all affect how quickly it rises.
The moment between wanting a drink and pouring one, treated as a deliberate decision point. Instead of drinking on cue, you pause, check whether you actually want it, and choose yes or no. Developed by Alcohol Reduction Coach, it is central to cutting back without relying on willpower.
A structured approach where you set clear limits on when, where and how much you drink, then keep to them. It is a recognised goal in UK alcohol treatment for some people and is more structured than a general intention to drink less.
A strong urge to drink, often set off by a time, place, mood or situation. Cravings often rise, peak and fade rather than staying at the same intensity. Knowing that makes them easier to wait out.
Drinking less often, drinking less on the days you do drink, or both. For most people who are not dependent, it is a realistic goal.
A drink, usually wine or beer, made as a normal alcoholic drink and then had the alcohol removed. Under current UK guidance it should contain no more than 0.5% ABV. Removing the alcohol also takes away some body and aroma, so some producers add sugar back in to improve the mouthfeel, which can leave the drink sweeter than the original.
A simple record of what, when and where you drink, and often how you felt beforehand. A week or two of honest entries usually shows patterns you had not noticed, such as particular days, times or moods that lead to drinking. Paper, a notes app or a dedicated app all work.
Days when you drink no alcohol at all. The UK Chief Medical Officers advise having several each week. Building clear drink-free days into your week is one of the simplest ways to cut back.
A month without alcohol at the start of the year, run by the charity Alcohol Change UK. Many people use it to reset habits and see how they feel without drinking. Its lasting value depends on how you drink once the month is over.
Someone who drinks when they choose to and skips it without effort when they don't. A Flexi Drinker can enjoy a good bottle with friends at the weekend, take a quiet week off, or say no on a Tuesday without it feeling like a sacrifice. Alcohol is a choice they make each time rather than a routine.
An informal term for someone who drinks heavily or dependently while keeping work, home and social life apparently on track. It is not a medical diagnosis, and holding things together does not make the drinking harmless.
Drinking that sits between low risk and dependence: more than you would like, often more than the guidelines, but without the physical dependence that needs medical support.
The three-part pattern behind any habit: a cue (getting home from work), a routine (pouring a drink) and a reward (the feeling of switching off). Repeat it often enough and the cue sets off the routine automatically. Changing a drinking habit means working on the loop, since willpower alone rarely holds.
Drinking that happens through routine rather than desire: the same drink, at the same time, in the same place, most days. It often carries on long after the original reason for it has gone.
The after-effects of drinking, including headache, nausea, tiredness, thirst and low mood. They come from dehydration, poor sleep, an irritated stomach and the body processing alcohol. Time is the only cure, though water, food and rest help while you wait.
Anxiety the day after drinking, often with a sense of dread or worry about what you said or did. It is partly chemical, as the brain rebounds from alcohol's calming effect, and partly down to poor sleep.
An approach focused on lowering the damage drinking causes rather than requiring someone to stop. Drinking less often, pacing yourself, eating first and arranging a lift home are all forms of harm reduction.
The World Health Organization term for drinking that is already causing damage to health. See higher-risk drinking.
The World Health Organization term for drinking that raises the risk of harm. See increasing-risk drinking.
A general term for drinking well above the guidelines, either regularly or in large sessions. There is no single UK definition, so it is used loosely to describe drinking with a clearly raised risk.
The NHS term for drinking that is already causing damage to physical or mental health. The World Health Organization and some clinical guidance call the same pattern harmful drinking, so you will see both terms in articles and health advice. On the AUDIT test it corresponds to a score of 16 to 19.
The NHS term for a pattern of drinking that raises your risk of harm, even if no damage has shown up yet. The World Health Organization calls the same pattern hazardous drinking, and both terms are in common use. In the UK it usually means regularly drinking more than 14 units a week, or an AUDIT score of 8 to 15.
Deciding in advance when, what and how much you will drink, and drinking because you have chosen to rather than out of habit. It suits people who enjoy alcohol and want it on their own terms.
A one-off slip from a drinking goal, such as a heavier night than planned. Lapses are a normal part of changing a habit and show you what set it off. How you respond the next day matters far more than the lapse itself.
Under current UK labelling guidance, a drink labelled low alcohol should contain no more than 1.2% ABV. Drinks between that and standard strength are sometimes sold as lower strength or reduced alcohol.
Drinking within the UK guidelines: no more than 14 units a week on a regular basis, spread over three or more days. Low risk does not mean no risk, but at this level the long-term risks stay low.
Advice from the UK Chief Medical Officers, published in 2016 and the same for men and women: no more than 14 units a week on a regular basis, spread over three or more days, with several drink-free days. If you want to cut down, adding drink-free days is a straightforward place to start.
Paying attention to what you drink and why, noticing how each drink makes you feel and whether you want another. People who drink this way tend to enjoy each drink more and have fewer of them.
The industry and government term for alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks as a category. The range in UK supermarkets and pubs has grown quickly and now covers beer, wine, spirit alternatives and ready-made drinks.
A broad term used in UK clinical guidance for drinking that causes or risks harm, covering everything from increasing-risk drinking to dependence. It describes a range rather than a single condition.
A return to a previous pattern of problem drinking after a period of change. It differs from a lapse, which is a single slip. Both are common, and neither means the change has failed.
Questioning your relationship with alcohol and exploring drinking less or not at all, without committing to a label or lifelong sobriety. It began as a social movement and is now a common way of describing a fresh look at your drinking.
A month off alcohol in October. Macmillan Cancer Support launched it in 2013 as Go Sober for October, and from 2026 it is run by the fundraising platform Ezy Raise, with Alcohol Change UK, the charity behind Dry January, as its UK charity partner. Some people prefer to use the month to build habits they can keep for the rest of the year.
The people, places, times, moods and situations that prompt you to want a drink. Common ones include finishing work, stress, boredom, cooking dinner and particular friends. Knowing your triggers lets you plan for them instead of reacting.
The UK measure of alcohol: one unit is 10ml, or 8g, of pure alcohol. To work out the units in a drink, multiply the volume in millilitres by the ABV and divide by 1,000. A 175ml glass of 13% wine and a pint of 4% beer are both about 2.3 units.
The physical and mental symptoms that appear when someone who is dependent on alcohol stops or cuts down suddenly, such as shaking, sweating, anxiety, nausea and poor sleep. Severe withdrawal can cause seizures and can be dangerous. If you notice any of these, see your GP before cutting down further.
Alternating alcoholic drinks with soft drinks, water or alcohol-free versions. It slows your pace and lowers the total without leaving you empty-handed.
Drinks labelled 0.0% are usually below 0.05% ABV, but 0.0% is a marketing description rather than an official UK category. Some alcohol-free drinks contain trace amounts, which matters if you need to avoid alcohol completely, for example during pregnancy or with certain medication.