Typically, a standard drink is 12 ounces (355ml) of beer with 5 per cent alcohol; 5 ounces (148ml) of wine with 12 per cent alcohol; or 1.5 ounces (44ml) of a distilled beverage. (A 750ml bottle of wine contains about five standard glasses.)

How much alcohol is too much?

Koob says the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) recommends no more than two alcoholic drinks per day for men and one per day for women. That’s about 14 or seven per week.

“That doesn’t mean you have them all at the party and in a two-hour period,” he says.

Drinking is the leading cause of substance abuse in the US, Britton says.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines binge drinking as consuming five or more drinks on an occasion for men or four or more drinks on an occasion for women.

Heavy drinking equals eight or more drinks per week for women and 15 or more drinks per week for men, the CDC says.

And while most people who binge drink do not have a severe alcohol use disorder, binge drinking is associated with an increased risk of alcohol use disorder, the CDC says.

“There’s significant medical risk and safety risks to binge drinking,” Britton says. “Holiday times, both in parties or in isolation, can trigger that … And one thing we know is that during the pandemic, isolation has been a massive, massive issue for people.”

Does alcohol consumption rise during the holidays?

Koob says alcohol sales peak between US Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Day and people consume more around that time.

One of the biggest factors leading to excessive drinking is negative emotional states, he says. While holidays can be fun, being around family members and certain environments can trigger negative emotions.

People often drink alcohol for a reason too, Britton says.

“It does something for them,” he says. “It’ll help with some of the traumatic stuff that people carry … Many people have issues with their families [and] dynamics that are difficult for them. Being around those families, drinking can be an adaptive strategy to get through it.”

Don’t want to drink? Have an escape plan

The most important thing a person can do if they want to stop drinking alcohol is reach out for help or treatment, Britton says. The second thing they can do is plan where they’ll spend the holidays.

“Is this a space that creates problems for me?” they can ask themselves.

If there’s a New Year’s Eve party where friends plan to drink lots of alcohol, it’s probably not the best choice, Britton says.

“I can either ask my family not to drink and see if they would honour that or I can choose to go somewhere with other people that are trying not to drink,” he says.

It also helps to take a friend or someone else who is in recovery.

You can also take a walk or leave the event, Koob says. And while people shouldn’t need an excuse to leave, they can say they’re not feeling well.

“You have to have an escape plan,” Koob says.

Drinking may trigger holiday heart syndrome

In addition to car crashes and DUIs, excessive alcohol consumption can also lead to a condition called holiday heart syndrome, researchers say.

The term “holiday heart syndrome” was coined in 1978. It occurs when healthy people without heart disease experience arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat after binge drinking.

The researchers who coined the term said the irregularities subsided once those involved stopped drinking.

While the palpitations were also more frequent after weekends or holidays like Christmas or New Year’s Eve, later studies showed the association between irregular heartbeat and recent alcohol intake wasn’t always significant.

Lastly, researchers say complications of holiday heart syndrome include new or worsening heart failure, life-threatening arrhythmias, community-acquired pneumonia and death.

How to support sober loved ones during the holidays

Experts say there are ways to help loved ones who don’t drink, like having non-alcoholic drink options.

“The average person doesn’t have a problem with alcohol, so the average person won’t really miss having alcohol,” Britton says.

And there’s a movement of sorts among people in the 18-to-30 age group that’s moving purposely to not drinking. The movement has led to the creation of more non-alcoholic drinks such as mocktinis or mocktails.

And when in doubt, it never hurts to simply ask loved ones how to support them, Britton says.

Questions you can ask loved ones who don’t drink or who struggle with drinking include:

• How are you doing with this?

• How can I support you with this?

• Is there anything I can do?

“As a culture, we’re often less comfortable in asking difficult questions,” he says. “If you love somebody, you share your concern for them.”

There are also things to avoid when celebrating with people who don’t drink alcohol, Koob says.

Don’t push, he says, and steer clear of saying things like “How come you’re not having a drink?” or “Join us!”

And it’s OK to keep an eye on them and be “socially acute”, Koob says.

“You don’t want to leave them in the corner by themselves where everybody else is toasting,” he says. “They should be included in the celebration but they don’t have to drink.”

For those struggling with drinking, experts say there are virtual communities, secular groups and groups within churches to check out for support.

For more information on Alcoholics Anonymous in Hong Kong, visit aa-hk.org.

Concerned that you or a loved one may be drinking too much? Consider taking the free online Audit -Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, a simple and effective method of screening for unhealthy alcohol use, defined as risky or hazardous consumption or any alcohol use disorder. Available at auditscreen.org/check-your-drinking/