Lots of people enjoy a drink or smoke, but excessive use of alcohol and other drugs can have big impacts on our lives. It can cause conflicts, make us less productive, create money troubles and harm our physical and mental health.
Smoking, drinking or using other drugs to dull negative feelings doesn’t work long term. If you notice a change in your drinking, smoking or other drug use and it worries you, you could try talking to a trusted family or friend or going to see your GP.
Not sure if your substance use is becoming a risk to your health and wellbeing? Take the quizzes for drinking and other drug use.
Click here to take an online quiz to see if your drinking may be a problem.
Click here to take an online quiz to see if your other drug use may be a problem.
If you feel like it’s time to cut back, there are a few different strategies that you can try to reduce drinking, smoking and other drug use:
- Write down the reasons you would like to reduce your drinking, smoking and drug use; is your usage affecting your work, relationships, health or wellbeing?
- Keep track of when, where and why you drink, smoke or use drugs and how much it is costing you.
- Set goals to reduce or stop drinking, smoking or taking drugs. How much would you like to reduce your usage by, and by what date?
- Identify what makes you want to have a drink, smoke or take drugs. Have a plan about what you will do when you are in a moment when you would normally drink or use drugs – such as not keeping alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs in the house and not buying more than you want to use at one time.