Turning their backs on booze

Young Kiwis behind a movement to walk away from alcohol say they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Laura Baker finds out more.

After an ‘‘exciting’’ first three months of sobriety, a Kiwi millennial has just signed up to a full boozefree year - but it’s not because she’s a recovering alcoholic.

Jenna Hitchcock, 32, is a busy business owner from Taranaki who is prioritising selfdevelopment and early morning exercise over hangovers.

She is among a small but growing group of young people who have made a conscious decision to call it quits on alcohol.

Motivating the movement is Auckland-based organisation No Beers? Who Cares! (NBWC), which aims to ‘‘make it a bit more cool’’ to drink mint-infused sparkling water instead of wine.

As a 20-something Hitchcock says she engaged in ‘‘unconscious, mindless’’ drinking to socialise and unwind on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Two years before joining NBWC she’d ‘‘already been on a sobriety journey’’, but found herself sneaking back into old habits, drinking more than she was comfortable with.

‘‘I wanted to commit to something that kept me accountable and on track.’’

The NBWC’s online community of like minded people provided that.

Having tested the alcohol-free waters she ‘‘feels lighter, brighter’’ and a ‘‘more productive, happier’’ person.

TV3 reporter-turned-yogi Claire Robbie started NBWC in February after witnessing first-hand the growing alcohol-free movement among young people in the United States.

In six months more than 300, predominantly young, Kiwis have signed up to abstain from drinking.

NBWC is one of the first ‘‘mindful drinking movements’’ of its kind in New Zealand to host ’’sober socialising’’ events, but similar mindful pub crawls have been fashionable in the UK and US for several years now.

The shift towards healthy living can be credited, in part, to the rise of health and wellness professionals who have been elevated to celebrity status on social media Robbie says.

‘‘They’ve become role models on Instagram and through social media.

‘‘Younger people are definitely choosing to drink less or not at all because they want to get out and exercise and take care of themselves physically and mentally.’’

Robbie admits she’s faced her own battle with alcohol. ‘‘I used to be a really heavy drinker... I had a dependency.

‘‘It wasn’t until I tried to give up that I realised how dependent I’d become on it in so many different elements of life.

‘‘I had to relearn how to be me and learn how to do things without drinking.’’

Now she’s asking others to ‘‘give themselves a break from alcohol’’ and challenge their ‘‘ingrained’’ or ‘‘unconscious’’ drinking habits.

Exploring drinking triggers and the motivating factors behind them is a big part of the group.

‘‘I want to question that unconscious behaviour. Once you take it out, you’ll discover what’s driving your actions.

‘‘It’s interesting to examine the reasons why we feel like we have to drink. What are we using it for?’’

Events where mocktails are flowing and ‘‘people are engaging on a real level’’ are held monthly so people can learn to socialise sober, something Robbie first struggled with. ‘‘I had to practise going out and socialising without a drink.’’

Mindful meditation courses are also available for members to ‘‘help address internal struggles’’.

Learning to live a teetotal lifestyle isn’t all mocktails and meditation.

Those who were previously light drinkers, having one or two drinks a week, have had the hardest time fully committing, Robbie says.

‘‘Heavy drinkers realise the huge effect drinking has on them; it’s the light drinkers who often don’t realise why they’re drinking.

‘‘It’s very rare people drink for the pure intention of enjoying it.’’ She says it’s more often used as a method to relax or as a confidence booster when socialising.

That’s something that Jenna Hitchcock can relate to.

‘‘I’ve become aware of where we drink to become numb and where we drink to try to escape.’’

Her stint of sobriety has forced her to process what makes her stressed ‘‘rather than just reaching for a glass of wine after a stressful day at work’’.

New Zealand’s culture towards binge drinking is far from dying out.

Last month, 54 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds who consumed alcohol reported risky drinking (seven or more drinks in one sitting) in the Health Promotion Agency’s Attitudes and Behaviours towards Alcohol Survey.

But binge drinking is decreasing, most notably among teenagers.

HPA’s general manager of policy, research and advice, Cath Edmondson, says it’s seen a significant decrease in risky drinking (the consumption of six or more drinks for this age group) among 15- to 17-year-olds, from 25 per cent of those surveyed in that age group in 2006-07 to 9 per cent in 2015-16.

New Zealand Drug Foundation national youth services adviser Ben Birks Ang says for a long time now there have been ‘‘lots of young people who don’t want to drink, or don’t drink regularly’’.

But only recently has this demographic become more visible as passing up alcohol has ‘‘become a little bit more acceptable in New Zealand culture’’.