Avoid the "Holi-Daze" with these safe drinking tips

DUPAGE COUNTY- The DuPage County Health Department urges residents to be healthy and safe during this holiday season by learning the facts about alcohol consumption during parties and festivities.

Excessive alcohol use can increase the risk of many harmful health conditions and with the holiday season causing more people to drink than any other time of year, it is important to learn how to stay safe when consuming alcohol. Use the tips below to avoid the harmful risks of over drinking this holiday season.

• Pace yourself. Know what constitutes a standard drink and have no more than one per hour. Use the chart below to learn what counts as a single drink.

o 12-ounces of regular beer or wine cooler.

o 8-ounces of malt liquor.

o 5-ounces of wine.

o 1.5-ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor (e.g., gin, rum, vodka, whiskey)

• Know your Limit. Binge drinking is defined as 5 or more drinks in a row for men and 4 or more drinks in a row for women. Before going out, decide how many drinks you are going to allow yourself and stick to it.

• Eat Something. Drinking on an empty stomach can cause most people to feel the effects of alcohol more quickly and make those effects more dangerous.

• Have "drink spacers". Make every other drink a nonalcoholic one.

• Make plans to get home safely. Remember that a designated driver is someone who hasn't had any alcohol, not simply the person in your group who drank the least.

For more information on the DuPage County Health Department, follow us on Twitter @DuPageHD or become a fan on Facebook.