With over 60,000 people having completed ‘Go Sober for October’, we asked the public how difficult they’d find it to stop drinking for a month…
A gang of friends raise their glasses of alcoholic drinks.One in five Britons now claim that they don’t drink alcohol – a figure that has seen a significant increase in the last ten years.
The British public’s attitude towards teetotalism seems positive in 2018, with Macmillan Cancer Support’s ‘Go Sober for October’ campaign raising over £3 million in sponsors.
Perhaps surprisingly, an Office of National Statistics study recently showed that 16-24 year olds in the UK are less likely to drink than any other age group.
With the growing popularity of teetotalism, could it be that British attitudes towards binge-drinking are changing? We took to the streets of Cardiff to ask the public if they could stop drinking for a whole month…
Harriet, 46, teacher, Roath
“I don’t drink very often, so a month without drinking would be quite easy. I think I’d happily go on a night out and not drink – I’d just drive instead! I wasn’t sober for all of October because I went out to celebrate the end of half term – bottles of prosecco were only £11.99 in Wetherspoons!”
Callum, 30, sports coach, Northern Ireland
“I’ve done Sober October before, but I’d find it quite difficult to go on a night out and not drink. My mates are quite wild – you couldn’t go out with my friends and stay sober, that’s for sure! If I was staying sober, I’d have to stay in.”
Anwen, 39, nursery assistant, Corwen
“No. Absolutely not. I drink enough on a Saturday night for two weeks! I’m definitely a binge-drinker, so I couldn’t go out and not drink – you’d have to lock me indoors with a Christmas film to distract me from the booze!”
Aeddan, 20, council worker, Canton
“I only drink twice or three times a month so I don’t think I’d find it too hard. It really depends on where the night takes me – I could maybe be classified as a binge drinker depending on what kind of mood I’m in. But I think I’d be able to go out and not drink – easy!”
Paul, 50, industrial window fitter, Mountain Ash
“I’ve been sober for three weeks now so a month would be easy! I used to drink about four times a week, but I’ve decided to cut down. I was at a funeral at a pub last week and drank tea and coffee – I felt totally comfortable not drinking.”