Alcohol is Australia’s most socially acceptable legal drug, but the truth is alcohol and its misuse can cause significant harm.
Not only does alcohol consumption above recommended levels increase the risk for more than 60 different diseases, but each week in WA, eight deaths, 402 hospitalisations and 180 family violence assaults occur that are related to alcohol use.
WA has one of the highest rates of emergency department presentations due to alcohol in the country, with one in five ED presentations on Saturday nights being due to alcohol consumption.
Alcohol has an enormous cost. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimated that the social cost of alcohol use in Australia was $66.8 billion in 2017–2018, a whopping $3.6billion of that workplace costs due to absenteeism and in 2022, there were 1742 alcohol-related deaths in Australia, from causes like liver cirrhosis and alcohol poisoning
This is the extreme end of harm, but it does lead to a question of what can we do to mitigate and reduce these effects?
One approach to reducing alcohol consumption that is gaining increasing momentum is attempting a period of abstinence from drinking. Dry January, Feb Fast, Dry July, Sober October are popular examples.
Alcohol has become such a part of our social lives, sitting alongside sports, play dates and celebrations. I wonder if the increasing popularity of these campaigns is because they are a socially acceptable way of taking a break where you can quietly assess your own relationship with alcohol.
Indeed, trying and struggling or failing to abstain can be a great eye-opener and a realisation that your relationship with alcohol might not be as straightforward as you like to think.
Exercises to assess and change behaviour like Dry July can be eye-opening, and a good step in the right direction.
If you do decide to give up alcohol for a month and it is harder than you think, I encourage you to be honest with yourself and those around you. Asking for help takes courage and we often cannot see our own blind spots.
As a child, I observed family members’ problem drinking. Culturally it was accepted and managed with a joke, or when it was uncomfortable and addressed, the impact was minimised and the person who drank alcohol in a harmful way did not seek help.
Unfortunately, the impact increased over the years and included loss of employment, broken familial relationships, and exacerbated mental and physical health problems. It was a painful loss when ultimately they died because of their alcohol use.
Now, as CEO of Palmerston, which provides specialised alcohol and other drug treatment services, I see how important a client-centred and family-inclusive approach to recovery program is to success.
It is important to remember that changing consumption habits and behaviours is a journey and not a destination and it is common to build upon prior learning, with each iteration around a learning cycle. This is not a failure. It is a courageous choice to learn and grow.
So, if you get to the end of Dry July and you think you may need to reassess your relationship with alcohol, here are the next steps I recommend:
- Be honest with yourself and ask for help.
- Speak to a loved one, your GP or have a confidential conversation with organisations such as Palmerston or The Alcohol and Other Drug Support Line
- Remember your why. Reducing or quitting alcohol can improve your life in many ways through improve your mood and sleep, increase your energy, improve your relationships, improve work performance, lower your risk of long-term health problems and save you money.
A month of abstinence is a useful time to reflect on your relationship with alcohol, and whether it’s a healthy one or one that diminishes your life, relationships and health.
Why not give it a go?
Emma Jarvis is the CEO of Palmerston.