Book Description:
Finally! Here is a proven, practical way to drink alcohol and lower your risk for problems. Up until now, there have been two primary messages when it comes to drinking alcohol. One is “just say no,” which for the majority of the population is not an option. The other is to “drink responsibly.” But what does that mean? If you ask five random people to define responsible drinking, you will most likely get five completely different answers. This invalidates the term because it can be defined in so many different ways. Party with a Plan® gives a concise and research based formula that teaches people how to drink and lower their risk of negative consequences. It’s like creating a speed limit for drinking. If you stick to the speed limit, your chance of problems is minimal. However, the more you go over the speed limit, and the more often you go over the speed limit, the more you put yourself and others at risk. This book is long overdue!
Author’s Bio:
Randy Haveson knows addiction. As an alcoholic in long-term recovery (May, 1984), he has dedicated his life to helping others make more empowered choices in their lives. He is a 25 year veteran in the substance abuse field with extensive experience as a counselor, Director of Health & Alcohol Education at highly accredited universities, and speaker on over 100 campuses, speaking about harm reduction, self-esteem, leadership, and supporting students in recovery.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
Author Interview:
Finally! An alcohol education program that makes sense!
What was your motivation for writing this book?
I was working in college counseling centers, dealing mostly with students who had substance abuse issues, and I realized that students were never taught how to drink alcohol. We have rules and guidelines for sports, driving, and a host of other things, but not for drinking. All we have is “drink responsibly.” But that’s like handing the keys of a car to a 16-year-old and saying, “Just drive responsibly.” We wouldn’t do that, e teach them how to lower their risk for problems, how to navigate the roads and be a respectful driver, and we teach them when it’s a good idea not to drive. So I did years of research and came up with the Party with a Plan® low-risk guidelines.
What do the guidelines include?
The guidelines teach the difference between low-risk and high-risk drinking. It draws a solid line in the sand that differentiates the two categories. When people know what the guidelines are, they know if they are low-risk or high-risk drinkers. Once a person knows what the speed limit is, they know if they are going over the limit or not. If they don’t know the speed limit, there’s no way to know if they’re speeding. Up until now the speed limit sign has read “drive responsibly” and there’s no way to actually know what that is.
Did you write the book for college students only? It seems this might be useful for everyone.
I did write an edition for college students and I wrote another for women because both have their own specific issues to consider when drinking. But I do have an edition that is more general for anyone who chooses to drink.
Where did you get your information from?
All components of the program are research based. Most of it comes from the CDC and the NIAAA. For the college edition I also used statistics from the Core Institute. I also use a lot of my own personal experience for parts of the book. Since I am an alcoholic in long term recovery, I wanted to create something that would have made sense to me when I was drinking. I do find it a bit ironic that I’m a recovering alcoholic that teaches people how to drink.
Is this book meant for alcoholics?
No, absolutely not. This is a book meant for those who haven’t crossed the line into addiction. It is also a useful tool for those who are wondering if they have crossed the line. I believe that once someone has crossed the line into addiction, the only low-risk choice is abstinence.
NorthernMSW: Advocacy, Education/Guidance on Grief 