Editorial: Month to kick booze

Jeff Anderson is taking part in FebFast.

Yesterday marked the start of FebFast 2015, an annual fundraising campaign that challenges Kiwis to go a month without alcohol.

For many readers that would be no hardship - you may not drink at all or only drink occasionally, meaning a month without it would be no big deal.

But for a significant portion of our society, FebFast does present a real challenge, even for those that don't normally drink to excess or consider their alcohol consumption problematic.

Our culture is such that many social occasions involve alcohol - catching up for a drink at the pub, dinner and wine with friends, or a drink while watching the cricket or rugby.

It's perhaps only when you consciously make an effort not to drink alcohol that you realise just how difficult it is to avoid.

In theory there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to do all these activities without having to drink alcohol. But as one Rotorua FebFast participant tells us, there can be a social pressure to partake. We've all heard the banter - "one wine won't hurt you" or "don't be so boring".

Having abstained for a few weeks recently - for the vanity of weight loss rather than any more admirable reason - I found it became easier to simply not go out and just avoid some social situations altogether.

The New Zealand Drug Foundation says about half a million Kiwis have "hazardous drinking patterns," while alcohol causes around 800 deaths a year.

FebFast may be seen as a bit of a gimmick but anything that gets people thinking about the role alcohol plays in their lives, and in the community, is a good thing.

This month, and every month, we should also make an effort to support rather than pressure people who'd rather order a lemonade.