TeleCoach

Five Principles (Strategies?)

Follow (Explore?) five key strategies to effectively say no to alcohol. Mark how well you think each principle can work for you.

Principle 1 Say “No, thank you” right away. Say it firmly and clearly. If you hesitate, others may think you don't mean what you say.
Principle 2 Suggest an alternative. When you say “No, thank you”, suggest doing something else, such as drinking juice or coffee or doing something completely different, such as going for a walk.
Principle 3 Tell the other person to stop pressuring you. Respond so that you regain control. If they continue to press, for example: ”You're so boring”, respond with something like “What I find boring is that you're trying to make me do something I don't want to do.”
Principle 4 Change the subject. After saying “No, thank you” you can start talking about something else, for example “No, thank you, I don't drink. How have you been since we last spoke?”
Principle 5 Avoid excuses or vague answers. If you say “No thanks, not right now...” others may interpret it as an undecided answer. It is better to simply say “No thanks, I don't drink anymore.”

Practice using the five principles so that you are prepared for future situations where you might want to say no to achieve your goal.

How much do you know about saying no when someone offers you alcohol?
Little A lot
How confident are you that you can say no when someone offers you alcohol?
Unsure Confident