Alcohol Moderation vs. Abstinence: Which Is Better? 

There’s an episode in the TV series Friends where Chandler tries to quit smoking. His friends rally around him, offering alternatives and moral support to help him kick the habit for good. Yet in the background, Joey continues to puff away, confident in his ability to moderate. This contrast between Chandler’s all-or-nothing approach and Joey’s more relaxed attitude illustrates the conundrum many of us face when it comes to quitting or cutting back on alcohol.

Should we cut it out entirely, or is there a way to drink in moderation without adverse effects? Let’s delve into the pros and cons of both approaches to help us decide which one is better for us.

What Is Drinking in Moderation?

Drinking in moderation means consuming limited amounts of alcohol. According to the CDC, drinking moderately refers to two standard drinks or fewer a day for men and one standard drink or fewer a day for women.

A standard drink is equivalent to 14 grams of pure alcohol. Different types of alcohol have different amounts of alcohol in them. For example, 12 oz of beer has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 5% while 1.5 oz of distilled liquor is 40% ABV. Moderation is a method to reduce alcohol’s harmful effects by not drinking too much or too often. How is this different from abstinence?

Defining Abstinence From Alcohol

Abstinence from alcohol means avoiding it completely. People may choose abstinence for a variety of reasons, including recovering from alcohol use disorder (AUD), improving overall health, religious reasons, or simply personal preference. 

Abstinence is also referred to as sobriety. However, sobriety is a spectrum and may not always mean abstinence. Let’s take a deeper dive into the pros and cons of drinking in moderation versus abstinence to see how they stack up against each other.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Drinking in Moderation

Pros of Moderate Drinking

Moderate drinking (also known as “controlled drinking”) consists of limiting our alcohol intake, thereby limiting alcohol’s negative effects on our health and well-being. Specifically, it prevents excessive drinking, which is associated with an increased risk of disease and can be life-threatening. 

If we’re transitioning from excessive drinking, moderate drinking can help our body get used to less alcohol in our system, decreasing the severity of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Tapering use is a common medical practice for discontinuing drugs. For some of us, moderate drinking might be more sustainable and lower our risk of excessive or binge drinking.

Cons of Moderate Drinking

The main argument against moderate drinking is that any amount of alcohol can be harmful. Alcohol is toxic to our body, and major health  authorities such as the World Health Organizations (WHO) hold that no amount of alcohol is safe. Alcohol in small amounts can still increase the risk of developing diseases.

Additionally, moderation can be a slippery slope for some alcohol drinkers. It can be easy to underestimate the amount of alcohol we actually drink. For example, the moderation guideline for women is one standard drink or fewer in one day, but a generous drink we might order at the bar can easily amount to two or three standard drinks. So, even if we think we’re practicing moderate drinking, we might not be. 

Moderate drinking also leaves the door open to increasing alcohol consumption. While adhering to moderation guidelines at first, our consumption can ramp up, especially given the way alcohol hijacks our brain’s reward system. As we can see, there are arguments for and against moderate drinking. So, what about abstinence from alcohol?

Benefits and Drawbacks of Abstaining From Alcohol

Opting for a life without alcohol offers a range of benefits, but it’s important to recognize its unique challenges.

Pros of Alcohol Abstinence

Alcohol negatively affects all aspects of our life, including our physical, mental, and social health. Avoiding alcohol leads to many benefits:

• Prevention of alcohol-related health issues 
• Improved sleep 
• Improved mental health 
• More authentic interactions 
• Better work or academic performance 
• Prevention of alcohol-related legal issues
• Prevention of alcohol-related accidents that we cause

While moderation limits alcohol’s adverse effects, abstinence can prevent them completely. But what are its downsides?

Cons of Alcohol Abstinence

Abstinence has few disadvantages because alcohol is toxic to our body and avoiding it only does us good. However, when we abstain from alcohol suddenly or without proper support, we can encounter negative effects. Quitting alcohol cold turkey can be dangerous, especially after an extended period of heavy drinking or alcohol dependence. When we eliminate alcohol completely, we may experience alcohol withdrawal, which in some cases can be life-threatening. 

Another potential disadvantage of alcohol abstinence is that some may find it too restrictive and unsustainable. When the root cause of our drinking isn’t addressed, avoiding alcohol can backfire into binge drinking. 

The social aspect of drinking may also be a disadvantage for someone who is abstaining. Let’s say we commit to abstinence, but then a social event comes up and we decide to have a sip, because why not? We haven’t had any in a while, and since we’ve been restricting alcohol completely, our brain could go into an all-or-nothing mindset. So, although abstinence is undoubtedly better for our overall health, there are some situations where abstinence may not be the best choice. The best step to take then? Consult our healthcare provider for guidance.

Which Is Better?

There’s no clear answer to the question of whether drinking in moderation or abstinence is better for everyone. It depends on individual factors and our specific situation — and the counsel of our healthcare provider.

For some, drinking in moderation might be an option, especially as a stepping stone to abstinence. If we feel that quitting alcohol is too restrictive and abstinence might backfire or trigger binge drinking, moderation might be a better choice.

On the other hand, some of us might need to avoid alcohol completely, especially if we suffer from alcohol use disorder and alcohol is an immediate threat to our health. Or some might find it more difficult to drink moderate amounts of alcohol than to avoid it completely, in which case abstinence may be a better choice. Decisions about our alcohol consumption choices should ultimately be made based on our personal needs and goals with the guidance of our healthcare provider. 

But wait: there is a third approach to reducing our alcohol consumption — mindful drinking. What is it, and where does it fit into the picture?

Mindful Drinking vs. Moderate Drinking

Mindful drinking is a practice that promotes drinking with more self-awareness. Moderate drinking can be a form of mindful drinking, as we’re setting limits on how much we’re choosing to drink. However, there’s more to it than that.

Strategies for mindful drinking are focused on increasing awareness. We can use active awareness to make more informed decisions about our drinking. Mindful drinking strategies include not only setting limits but also identifying triggers, evaluating our emotions, tracking our consumption, and using this information to develop healthier drinking habits.

Moderate drinking can be an integral aspect of mindful drinking. But we can also implement mindful drinking for a more extensive approach to bettering our relationship with alcohol. 

Let’s see how the strategies can work together.

Mindful Drinking: A Step to Alcohol Abstinence

Moderate drinking and mindful drinking can be stepping stones to abstinence. Together they can make abstinence seem more attainable, especially since quitting cold turkey can be dangerous and may present too drastic a change for some.

Mindful drinking also helps us address the root causes of our drinking and helps us develop positive strategies to overcome them. As we increase our awareness about our drinking habits and alcohol’s detrimental effects on our overall health, mindful drinking can progress to abstinence. And if not, we can still develop a healthier relationship with alcohol. Let’s explore some ways we can practice moderate drinking or abstinence.

Tips for Moderate Drinking or Abstinence

Moderate drinking and abstinence may seem daunting, but we have just the tips for you. We can take it step-by-step toward a healthier relationship with alcohol by implementing these strategies:

• Track consumption. Tracking our drinks gives us a clearer picture of our drinking habits. Track and set goals all in one place on the Reframe app!
• Identify triggers. Keeping track of our emotions and events that occur before and after drinking helps us understand what’s triggering our drinking.
• Develop positive coping strategies. Alcohol is commonly used as a way to distract or cope with difficult situations or emotions. Developing positive coping strategies helps prevent and limit these feelings and behaviors. 
• Find alternatives. Try alcohol-free alternatives to eliminate alcohol’s adverse effects! There are countless mocktail recipes out there waiting for you to taste them!
• Get support. Quitting or cutting back can be challenging, but it’s easier with support. Seek out peer support groups or try behavior therapies to find what works for you.

The Final Verdict

Determining whether moderate drinking or abstinence is better for us is a bit like debating whether the UCLA or USC football team is better. Sometimes one may be better than the other, but they’re both good bets. While no amount of alcohol is good for our health, there are some situations where moderate drinking (or, rather, mindful drinking) might be a better choice. It might serve as a stepping stone to abstinence and help us address the root causes of our drinking. So, whether we choose to quit or cut back on alcohol, we’re taking a step in the right direction towards a healthier, happier life!