"Oh my head! What happened?"

Alcohol is known to lower inhibitions. This can help you feel more sociable, and bring emotions to the fore. Without your usual standards of self-control, arguments are more likely to happen - often over little things like who ordered the last round.

"I told them all to go to hell, and then I fell over."

No matter how bad things got between you, it's vital that you swallow your pride and put your friendship first. OK, so you might have said some very bad things the night before, but if you can take responsibility for your behaviour and apologise for any offence caused they can only respect you for it.

"I'll apologise when I see them."

Far better to eat humble pie at the earliest opportunity - even if you haven't had time to work up the appetite. It'll clear your conscience, and they'll be flattered that you made such an effort.

"Hang on, technically I didn't start it!"

Well, you could wait for an apology, but what if your mate assumes you were to blame? Alcohol can muddy the facts somewhat, which means the only certainty is that your have a friendship to save. Do you really want to lose it because you couldn't agree on whether Cheryl Cole has more to offer than Megan Fox?!

"How do I avoid future flare ups?"

The simple answer is to cut down or quit your alcohol intake. If you're prone to getting prickly when you're pissed it could be a sign that you're relying on booze to escape from difficult feelings. If it's your mate who's always picking fights, however, you need to chat to them about the issue when they're sober - and less likely to react badly.

You can't force them to review their relationship with alcohol, but you have every right flag up how their bad behaviour is affecting your friendship. They may not change overnight, but it will give them food for thought. Should you sense trouble brewing over your next quiet pint, be the first to steer the conversation onto safer ground. Harry Potter may well be faster on a broomstick than the wicked witch of the west, but it's not worth taking the debate out onto the streets. Just leave it, all right? Walk away!

Updated: 16/12/2010