“Be careful not to pressure others to drink”

Bubbles in the sunset, a cold beer by the grill – many people associate the pleasant summer moments with alcohol. Unproblematic for most, but not for all.

Here are the experts’ best tips for the summer.

– For the vast majority of people, it is completely undramatic. You increase alcohol consumption a little and then cut back without problems after the summer, says Sara Wallhed Finn, psychologist and addiction researcher.

But it doesn’t work that way for everyone.

– There are those who previously had an addiction, who come back during the summer. And there are those who enter the summer with a risky behavior and who increase a little more.

Alcohol addiction is a public disease and approximately five percent are affected, according to Anders Håkansson, professor of addiction medicine. Summer drinking can be a problem, he believes.

– Partly for people who already have a vulnerability. Then I think that some alcohol problems debut and are founded during one summer, which becomes a big problem after that.

Hard to break

Can you get stuck in three summer months?

– It is definitely long enough for such a habit to be difficult to break when the period is over, he says.

If it has gone so far that you start to have physical problems or feel mentally ill, a period of complete sobriety is the best way to break – and to seek help.

But for many it can be enough to set limits for yourself, for example only drinking alcohol on weekends.

What is appropriate summer drinking?

– Just right is very different for different people, says Sara Wallhed Finn.

According to the National Board of Health and Welfare, the limit for risky use is ten standard glasses a week, roughly one and a half bottles of wine. And a maximum of four standard glasses per occasion.

– But the goals must probably be individual. It is important to remember that there are many people who should not drink alcohol at all, says Anders Håkansson.

Do not nag

How are they best supported?

– Not nagging is an important aspect. Be careful not to pressure others to drink. If you are the one offering, make sure there are alternatives without alcohol and that they are just as accessible, well thought out and good, says Sara Wallhed Finn.

What are the warning flags?

– It can be a signal that you think a lot about alcohol, that you feel a certain urge to drink and prioritize activities or socializing where you know there is alcohol, says Sara Wallhed Finn.

Anders Håkansson thinks that everyone should set their own limits in advance for how much is okay to drink. If it happens again and again that you drink more than you intended, it is a clear warning signal.

FACT This way you can get through the summer without getting stuck

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