Alcohol Awareness Week kicked off on Monday with the theme ‘alcohol and cost’.
The campaign, run by the charity Alcohol Change UK, aims to raise awareness of the personal and societal costs of drinking.
It doesn’t sound like the cheeriest of initiatives but there’s no doubting it’s a necessary one.
The goal is “a Britain with alcohol, but without serious alcohol harm”, says the group
“This vision of a healthier, happier country is within our grasp if we embrace some changes.”
Well, who can argue with that?
Healthier and happier was what I was aiming for when I signed up to Alcohol Change UK’s ‘Sober Spring’ challenge earlier in the year.
I completed the challenge. Turns out giving up alcohol is achievable. And now it’s summer and I still haven’t had my first boozy sip of the season – yet.
Clearly there are upsides to the sober life then. I’m still figuring it out.
But I’m also still sober. So something must be going right.
Giving up alcohol – focus on the positives
As a society, I’d say we’re pretty clued-up on the downsides of alcohol use.
A recent survey commissioned by Alcohol Change UK found one in seven drinkers is reported to be worried about how much they are drinking.
Many of us will have experienced the debilitating hangover and increased anxiety that comes after a heavy night out.
We know it’s a poison. That it is ruinous for our brains, our livers, and pretty much every other part of our bodies.
But one of the biggest barriers to people cutting back on their alcohol use is nervousness about how they will socialise, date or just generally enjoy themselves without the aid of a drink.
Maybe if we want to reduce the risks and costs associated with our hard-boozing culture, we should spend less time talking about the downsides of saying ‘no’ to wine o’clock and a bit more time talking about the benefits of moderation and sobriety.
I’ve quit alcohol, I’m not giving up dishing out advice too
Over the last 100 days I’ve learned a lot about myself.
The first is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that I’m writing this column in the first place.
It seems I have a very annoying tendency to prematurely claim expertise where no such expertise exists.
When I stopped smoking, I felt compelled to impart my new-found cessation wisdom on any smokers who had the misfortune to stumble across my path.
Now I’m the same with giving up alcohol.
I have condiments in my fridge that are older than my period of sobriety. But that hasn’t stopped me from becoming a connoisseur of both alcohol-free drinks and smug lifestyle advice.
“Do you want to feel more motivated, more energised, more ALIVE? Simply switch out your nightly G+T for a builders tea and prepare to feel amazing!”
That kind of thing.
Energy and clarity, I’ll drink to that
I found I was at my most insufferable roughly 30 days in.
This was when I experienced what the sober community refer to as the ‘pink cloud’ effect.
I felt on top of the world.
Appreciation was the order of the day. I marvelled at both the fundamental beauty of the world and the abundance of blessings that the universe had graciously bestowed upon me.
It was a bit weird to be honest and thankfully it soon wore off.
And now, 100 days in, I’m a little less insufferable, but no less sober.
Despite what some social media influencers might tell you, giving up alcohol won’t solve all your problems.
But what it does offer is the energy and clarity you might need to become a slightly happier and healthier version of yourself.
