Take an alcohol pledge
Alcohol Free Week begins on the 25th of February. This also marks
the beginning of Lent, when observers traditionally abstain from an indulgence such
as drinking for 40 days and 40 nights.
While we are not asking you to go that far, we would like you to get involved in
Alcohol Free Week by making a small promise to yourself to mark the event.
The pledge you make is entirely up to you: It could be to not drink for a day, a
week, a month. Maybe you would just prefer to drink one less glass of wine a week;
small measure or big change, it’s your choice.
The idea of the pledge is simple. We hope that by making this sacrifice you will
be encouraged to think about what you drink, how you drink, why you drink and to
take stock of the role that alcohol plays in your life.
You don’t have to have a drink problem to feel the benefits of drinking less alcohol.
You will feel healthier and you could save money.
See your pledges below...
I judith jones, pledge drink only at the weekends in order to save my marriage
I Carly Scott, pledge only drink a maximum of 2 nights a week
I Sally Smith, pledge not have my customary glass or 2 of wine on a Thursday night
I Emilie Smith, pledge not drink for four days every week
I Ricky Ambury, pledge Not drink during weekdays
I Jen Adams, pledge not drink during lent
I Helen Barnes, pledge not to have a drink for a week and then only at the weekend.
I Eddie Vearnals, pledge not to drink for a day
I Bev Duxbury, pledge not to drink between Monday and Thursday every week.
I Camilla Gibbs, pledge not drink until Saturday, and then not for a week after that.
I Gaz Ward, pledge not drink until the end of lent. I need to beat this demon drink
I Matthew Maule, pledge not drink alcholol for four days every week
I Diane Blakesley, pledge Not drink alcohol on during the week.
I Tessa Cheal, pledge refrain from drinking alcohol at lunch time and drink no more than 3 glasses of wine per week.
I Jill Armstrong, pledge give up drinking alcohol except at weekends
I MK, pledge try and drink no more than a glass of wine one weekend every month.
I Hannah, pledge only drink alcohol one day a week
I Helen Barnes, pledge not to have a drink for a week and then only at the weekend.
Total pledges:
45
Alcohol is high in calories, yet contains almost no nutritional benefits. For example,
a bottle of wine contains around 600 calories. In exercise terms, it would take
a 10 stone person over 2 hours running at 4mph to burn off the same amount of calories.
If beer is your preferred drink, a pint of lager or bitter contains about 250 calories.
A large double measure of spirits is likely to set you back around 150 calories
too.
It’s not just your waistline that can be affected badly by drinking too much; 10
pints of lager a week can cost £25. Over the course of a year, this works out to
be £1,300. £20 spent on four bottles of wine a week will set you back £1,040.
Abstinence is not for everyone, but switching to lower alcohol versions of your
favourite drinks can help to reduce your calorific intake significantly, not to
mention reducing your hangover.
Drinking less will help you sleep better and will reduce the risk of getting a variety
of nasty diseases, including cancers of the breast, mouth, throat, bowel and liver.
Cutting down drinking can help to reduce high blood pressure; improve the quality
of your sleep; reduce anxiety and improve memory.