Hawke's Bay alcohol lovers bold enough to abstain for a whole month can help ease the suffering of adult cancer patients as part of the second annual Dry July campaign.
Last year more than 2100 people signed up for the inaugural New Zealand Dry July fundraiser, raising more than $550,000 for the Northern Regional Cancer and Blood Service at Auckland City Hospital - the main treatment centre for cancer patients in the upper North Island.
This year Dry July is raising funds for cancer centres in Christchurch and Wellington.
Hawke's Bay District Health Board director of population health Dr Caroline McElnay said the DHB had not considered the campaign, focusing more on harm reduction - getting people to reflect on how much they were drinking and reduce their alcohol intake.
Evidence on the benefits of abstaining from alcohol was still unclear, Dr McElnay said.