Source: https://sober44.com/tools/quit-drinking-plan-generator/

Sober44 is a free alcohol-free tracker app for iOS and Android: count sober days, see money and drinks saved, plan a taper and follow health milestones.

Get the Sober44 app: [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6790916681?pt=120576754&ct=sober44.md&mt=8) · [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ehmtech.drinking&referrer=utm_source%3Dsober44.md)

# Quit Drinking Plan Generator

Pick a quit date, reasons and triggers to get a printable quit drinking plan with a dated prep checklist, your first weekend and an if-then plan per trigger.

_Interactive tool: open [the web page](https://sober44.com/tools/quit-drinking-plan-generator/) to use it. This Markdown copy has the text only._

**Talk to a doctor first if you drink every day or heavily,** or if you've had shaking, sweating, nausea or trouble sleeping when you stopped or cut down before. Stopping suddenly can be dangerous if your body depends on alcohol, and a doctor can make it safer. Confusion, hallucinations or a seizure are an emergency: call 911 or your local emergency number. This plan isn't medical advice.

Look back at your plan on these dates: what worked, and what needs a new if-then?

## How the quit drinking plan generator works

Pick a quit date, choose whether to stop on that day or cut back first, and answer one yes/no question about how you drink. Then tick your reasons and the times you usually drink, add the people you’ll tell and pick what you’ll say when someone offers you a drink. The plan updates as you go, with no submit button.

Days to go are calendar days from today, with today counted as 0, so a quit date one week out shows 7. Each prep task is due a set number of days before your quit date:

- Write down your reasons: 7 days before
- Tell people: 5 days before
- Plan your first weekend: 3 days before
- Stock alcohol-free drinks: 2 days before
- Clear alcohol out of your home: 1 day before

A task due today says Today. One whose day has already passed says Do now, so a quit date two days out still gets every task, just sooner. Answer yes to the doctor question and booking a visit is due today. If you’re cutting back first, setting your daily targets is due today too. These timings are this page’s planning choice, not a medical schedule.

Your first weekend is the first Saturday on or after your quit date and the Sunday after it. Quit on a Saturday and it’s that same weekend: your quit day and the day after. Quit on a Sunday and it’s the following Saturday and Sunday, since the quit day is already a weekend day. The one-week and 30-day check-ins fall 7 and 30 days after your quit date.

The weekend gets its own line because that’s when drinking tends to peak. In a telephone survey of 578 people in a large city who drink at least once a month, run over five weeks of the winter holidays, “Weekly variation in alcohol consumption peaked on Fridays and Saturdays” ([Kushnir and Cunningham, 2014](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25343654/)).

The plan is built in your browser, and nothing is saved or sent, so reloading the page clears it. Print it, or pick Save as PDF in the print dialog, before you leave. The wording is written for this page. It isn’t a clinical tool or a test, and the doctor question has no score.

## What goes into a good quit plan

[MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000857.htm) suggests writing down the date you’ll stop drinking, your most important reasons, the strategies you’ll use, the people who can help and the roadblocks you expect, then keeping the plan somewhere handy. [NIAAA](https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/thinking-about-change/planning-change) makes the same point: “Making a written ‘change plan’ will help you to solidify your goals.”

Reasons work best where you’ll see them. NIAAA’s reminder ideas include carrying your plan in your wallet, sticky notes at home, notes on your phone and calendar alerts. That’s why writing them down is the first task on the list, a week out.

Who you tell matters, and so does what you ask them for. The [NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alcohol-use-disorder/) suggests telling people you’re stopping so they can help keep you on track. NIAAA says to be specific when you ask for support, and MedlinePlus gives examples: ask them not to offer you alcohol and not to drink around you.

Two changes at home take away easy chances to drink. NIAAA’s advice: “If drinking at home is a problem, keep little or no alcohol there.” Stocking alcohol-free drinks you like gives you something to reach for instead, at home and out. MedlinePlus’s advice when you’re offered one: “Ask for a non-alcoholic drink instead.”

Last, have your answer ready for when someone offers you a drink. [NIAAA’s refusal tips](https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/tools/worksheets-more/building-your-drink-refusal-skills) start with “Keep your response short, clear, and simple” and warn against long explanations and vague excuses. Pick one of the five lines above, and the plan adds what to do if they ask again.

Printable quit plans from health services are fill-in forms, so you work out the dates yourself. This one does the date math for you and still prints.

## If-then plans for your triggers

An if-then plan ties a situation you know is coming to a response you’ve already picked. Psychologist Peter Gollwitzer called these [implementation intentions](https://www.socmot.uni-konstanz.de/publications/implementation-intentions-and-goal-achievement-meta-analysis-effects-and-processes). A 2016 paper he co-wrote defines them as “If I encounter situation X, then I will respond with action Y” ([Saddawi-Konefka et al.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27008360/)). The generator writes one for each time you tick, so the response is decided before the moment arrives.

The evidence for alcohol is modest. A 2023 meta-analysis of 16 studies ([Cooke and colleagues](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36173203/)) found that forming implementation intentions led to a small drop in weekly drinking (d = −0.14) and no effect on heavy episodic drinking. Plans made online showed no clear effect (d = −0.04), and effects faded over time. Treat your plan as a starting point, and change what isn’t working at your check-ins.

Some triggers come from outside, like a party or a drink being offered. Others come from inside, like stress, boredom or feeling low. NIAAA’s advice is to avoid the ones you can and plan for the ones you can’t. Our guide to [common drinking triggers](https://sober44.com/blog/common-drinking-triggers/) goes through both kinds.

When an urge hits anyway, have a way to ride it out, like [box breathing for cravings](https://sober44.com/blog/box-breathing-for-alcohol-cravings/). In [Sober44](https://sober44.com/#download), you can log a craving and tag what set it off as Stress, Social, Habit, Boredom or Other, and a craving never resets your sober count. The triggers on this page fit those tags: stress is Stress, offers and parties are Social, after work, weekends and dinner are Habit, an empty evening is Boredom, and the rest are Other.

## Stop on the date or cut back first, and when to see a doctor

Which one fits depends on how much you drink and on your health. [NIAAA](https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/thinking-about-change/cut-down-or-quit) strongly advises quitting rather than cutting down if you’ve tried cutting down and couldn’t stay within your limits. The same goes if you have signs of alcohol use disorder, a health condition caused or made worse by drinking, a medication that interacts with alcohol, or are or might be pregnant. Its advice is to talk with your doctor about whether to cut down or quit.

Stopping can be risky when your body has come to depend on alcohol. The NHS says withdrawal symptoms when you stop or cut down are “a sign your body is dependent on alcohol”, and that “it can be very dangerous to stop drinking suddenly if you’re dependent on alcohol.” [MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000764.htm) notes that the more often you drink, the more likely you are to get withdrawal symptoms when you stop. That’s why the plan asks whether you drink every day or have had shaking, sweating, nausea or trouble sleeping when you stopped before. A yes moves a stronger note to the top of your plan and adds a doctor’s visit to your prep list, due today.

Confusion, hallucinations or a seizure during withdrawal are an emergency: call 911 or your local emergency number. In the US, the [SAMHSA National Helpline](https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/national-helpline) at 1-800-662-4357 is free, confidential and open 24/7 for treatment referrals and information.

If you cut back first, the [alcohol taper schedule calculator](https://sober44.com/tools/alcohol-taper-schedule-calculator/) gives you a daily drink target for each day up to your quit date. Sober44 does the same when you set a future quit date: a straight step-down to zero on your quit day, with a target for each day. Withdrawal can start when you cut down, too, so the doctor advice applies either way.

This page is general information, not medical advice. Not ready to set a quit date? Start with [how to cut back on drinking without quitting](https://sober44.com/blog/sober-curious-how-to-cut-back-on-drinking-without-quitting/).

## Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about quit drinking plan generator

### What should a quit drinking plan include?

[MedlinePlus](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000857.htm) suggests writing down the date you'll stop, your most important reasons, the strategies you'll use, the people who can help and the roadblocks you expect, then keeping the plan somewhere handy. NIAAA's change plan also asks how you'll know it's working. This generator covers each part: your quit date and reasons, a dated prep checklist, an if-then plan for each trigger, a line for turning down a drink, the people you'll tell and two check-in dates.

### How does the generator work out my prep dates?

Each task is due a set number of days before your quit date: your reasons 7 days before, telling people 5, planning your first weekend 3, stocking alcohol-free drinks 2 and clearing alcohol from home 1. A task whose day has already passed shows “Do now”. Your first weekend is the first Saturday on or after your quit date and the Sunday after it, so a Sunday quit date gets the following weekend. These timings are this page’s planning choice, not a medical schedule.

### Should I stop on my quit date or cut back first?

It depends on how much you drink and on your health, so talk it over with a doctor. [NIAAA](https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/thinking-about-change/cut-down-or-quit) strongly advises quitting rather than cutting down if you've tried cutting down and couldn't stay within your limits. The same goes if you have signs of alcohol use disorder, a health condition caused or made worse by drinking, a medication that interacts with alcohol, or are or might be pregnant. If you cut back first, the [alcohol taper schedule calculator](https://sober44.com/tools/alcohol-taper-schedule-calculator/) gives you a daily target for each day up to your quit date.

### When should I talk to a doctor before I quit?

Before your quit date if you drink every day or heavily, or if you've had shaking, sweating, nausea or trouble sleeping when you stopped or cut down before. The [NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alcohol-use-disorder/) says it can be very dangerous to stop suddenly if you're dependent on alcohol, and to get medical help before you try to stop if you get withdrawal symptoms. NIAAA says doctors can prescribe medicine that makes withdrawal safer. Confusion, hallucinations or a seizure are an emergency: call 911 or your local emergency number.

### What is an if-then plan, and does it help?

It links a situation to a response you choose ahead of time, like “If someone offers me a drink, then I'll say no thanks and ask for a soda.” Psychologist Peter Gollwitzer named these “implementation intentions”. For alcohol, a 2023 meta-analysis of 16 studies found a small drop in weekly drinking (d = −0.14) but no effect on heavy episodic drinking ([Cooke et al., 2023](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36173203/)). Plans made online showed no clear effect (d = −0.04), and effects faded over time. Treat your plan as a starting point and revisit it at your check-ins.

### What should I say when someone offers me a drink?

Something short, said without hesitating. [NIAAA](https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/tools/worksheets-more/building-your-drink-refusal-skills) advises a polite, convincing “No, thanks”, eye contact and no long explanations, and suggests planning a second response in case the person keeps asking. MedlinePlus suggests asking for a non-alcoholic drink instead, and role-playing the moment with a friend so you're ready. Pick one of the five lines in the generator and your plan adds what to do if they ask again.

### Who should I tell, and what should I ask them?

One or two people you trust, before your quit date. Ask each for something specific. The NHS suggests telling people you're stopping so they can help keep you on track. NIAAA's examples of support include not offering you alcohol, and MedlinePlus adds asking them not to drink around you.

### What if I drink after my quit date?

Don't give up. MedlinePlus calls a setback “just a bump in the road” and says to learn from each attempt and try again. Look at what set it off, then add or change an if-then plan for it. In Sober44, an “I drank” check-in restarts the sober timer but not your check-in streak. Our guide on [whether to reset your sober date after a slip](https://sober44.com/blog/should-you-reset-your-sober-date-after-a-relapse/) walks through the options.

## Related Tools

- [Alcohol Taper Schedule Calculator](https://sober44.com/tools/alcohol-taper-schedule-calculator/): Turn your drinks a day, a target and a date into an alcohol taper schedule with a daily drink target. A planning aid for cutting back, not medical advice.
- [Drinking Triggers Quiz](https://sober44.com/tools/drinking-triggers-quiz/): Rate 16 situations to see your top drinking triggers, how they split into internal and external, and an if-then plan for your top three. Not a diagnosis.
- [Alcohol Calorie Calculator](https://sober44.com/tools/alcohol-calorie-calculator/): See the calories in beer, wine, spirits and mixed drinks from pour size and ABV, split into alcohol and carbs, with weekly, monthly and yearly totals.
- [Alcohol Money Investment Calculator](https://sober44.com/tools/alcohol-money-investment-calculator/): See what the money saved from not drinking could grow to if you invested it, at 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 years, with a figure adjusted for inflation.