Sex, sleep, alcohol or your friends?

FebFast welcomes poll results

Drug Foundation media release, 6 February 2011

Sex, sleep, alcohol or your friends? Which would you rather give up?

That’s what Research New Zealand asked 500 people a week ago as part of a monthly survey of attitudes and opinions.

It decided to support the Drug Foundation’s first ever FebFast youth charity fundraiser by adding questions specifically about drinking alcohol to its regular poll.

FebFast challenges people to stop drinking alcohol for the month of February to raise money for organisations working with young people, and to give their bodies and wallets a chance to recharge after the festive season.

FebFast coordinator Catherine Milburn describes the Research New Zealand poll findings as illuminating.

“It’s quite an eye opener when you see what people are prepared to give up in order to keep drinking,” she says.

“Amazingly, some people would rather stop seeing their friends or give up sex, sleep, their cellphones, the internet and even their cars before knocking off the booze. They’re in the minority, though – most people put their mates ahead of alcohol and still value a good night’s sleep, a roll in the hay, and time in front of the telly or on the internet.”

According to the poll, 73 percent of people would consider giving up alcohol for more than a month, with men more likely to consider doing this than women.

“That’s really encouraging and fits well with the FebFast philosophy of taking a month-long break from alcohol,” says Ms Milburn.

The poll results suggest that the things people are most likely to consider giving up in order to keep drinking are cigarettes and social networking, with men and women having different attitudes towards giving up different activities. For example, 92 percent of men said they would choose sex over alcohol, compared with 80 percent of women. The results vary by age, too, with young people (aged 15 to 34) prizing sex and their cellphones much more than people aged over 55.

Fortunately FebFasters are not being asked to make those choices during their month off alcohol.

“We’re just asking people to press pause on their drinking to give some worthwhile community organisations a helping hand,” says Ms Milburn. “For some people, having a break from alcohol might actually give them more time – and inclination – for some of these other activities.”

ENDS

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