OPINION:
Congratulations to those of you partaking in Dry July. If you've managed to resist the lure of the drink thus far, you are contributing to a worthwhile cause.
I haven't been hungover since December 2012. It's not that I haven't had a drink in that time, but I haven't drunk to excess. My hangovers, while sporadic, were horrendous. I would vow not to touch the demon poison again and showing strength of character, wouldn't let the tipple pass my lips.
This, combined with a general distaste for most alcohol, has narrowed my drink of choice. I'm always interrogated by people as to why I'm not drinking. A "no thank you" or "I don't feel like it" is inconceivable to them. They look at me in disbelief, but I have broad shoulders and at times it's me looking at them in disbelief.
New Zealanders have a weird relationship with alcohol, even though we profess to knowing alcohol's effect on us individually and societally. It's been 54 years since six o'clock closing came to an end, yet it feels like we are stuck in time. New Zealand is a young country with only 54 years of drinking culture under our belts.