Sober October almost cost Nicola Cooke her life.
Nicola has type one diabetes and the lack of sugar in her system sent her into a “very severe diabetic hypo… my body went into complete shock with my body having no alcohol in it at all.” This resulted in her ending up in hospital, and she urges people to educate themselves on the risks.
Sober October began in 2014 as a fundraising campaign for Macmillan Cancer Support. It was created primarily as a way to raise money for cancer awareness, but is now often used for the health benefits it promotes.
The movement emphasises the importance of checking in with yourself about your relationship with alcohol and it encourages people to give it up completely for one month.
For those who are looking for an excuse to cut back on their alcohol intake, Sober October is the perfect motivator. By going sober for just one month, you’ll likely see at least a few benefits, such as more energy, better sleep, improved concentration, less irritability and anxiety and so much more.
Experts say that by abstaining from alcohol for 30 days can have many positive health benefits and help break patterns of addiction.
Ben Molyneaux is a bartender at Green Room, Leeds. He said that “we have noticed a few trends recently where people are coming in and buying non-alcoholic drinks rather than alcoholic ones.” This however is not a bad thing for the business, “it’s not negatively affecting us, we usually have a bit of a dip in October anyway.”
Last year almost 21,000 people died from alcohol related deaths. Campaigns like these are essential to remind people just how important it is to cut down on your alcohol intake, and health officials are backing the movement.
