ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

It seemed like a dream assignment: give a radio presenter a camcorder and tell him to enjoy himself.

Listen: Simon's Drinking Diary

Listen to Simon Ford's Drinking Diary...

The brief was that I'd keep a tally of how much alcohol I drank over a fortnight and use the camera to make a video journal.

It seemed like a jolly experiment to me. I had no idea what I was letting myself in for.

To stay healthy an adult male should consume no more than three units of alcohol a day. I soon found that it was extremely difficult to stick to that limit.

And reviewing my progress captured on tape was literally a sobering experience. It wasn't the affable chap I expected to see on the camcorder's screen, it was the face of a depressed, binge drinker.

During that first week I realised I had to do something about my drinking. There were some tough questions to answer.

Why did I drink excessively? What were the consequences? Could I manage with less alcohol or even without it altogether?

There are millions upon millions of men like me who think they're moderate, social drinkers, when they're really kidding themselves.

In my case, the camera didn't lie. It might just have saved my life.

Here are some hard facts I was forced to face:

• Drinking in rounds is sociable but potentially disasterous.Ìý A group of four friends means rounds of four drinks, so pace yourself and have alternate soft drinks.Ìý
• If you're not keen on fruit juices and cordials (and I'm not) have a half a pint of of beer or a pint of shandy to make it go further.
• A "nightcap" might knock you out but you get a bad night's sleep.Ìý I was surprised how much more refreshed I felt waking up the morning after a night before that had involved little or no alcohol.
• Abstaining from alcohol all week is NOT an excuse for getting plastered at the weekend!
• If juggling the various units and intake limits is too much of a chore you have aÌý choice: go back to being an ostrich with your head in the sand and drinking too much, or stop drinking altogether.
• You can still have a good time and not drink alcohol.Ìý Plus, you'll be able to visit all those lovely country pubs around Leicestershire because you won't have to worry about drinking and driving.