In this blog, our editorial assistant Amy-Louise talks about Go Sober for October, and explains why becoming a Soberhero is such a great idea!
So summer has come to an end and Christmas is, terrifyingly, just around the corner! As sunny beer gardens are no longer as attractive, and as there’s still a bit of time until festive fun gets underway, October is the perfect time to think about having a drink detox.
Go Sober for October has so far assembled just over an outstanding 45,000 Soberheroes, prepared to abolish alcohol for the month of October, all to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. You could be one of them too!
Why should I do it?
Go Sober for October means that you can have less Saturday morning hangovers and more money in your purse after Friday nights, whilst doing something amazing for people facing cancer.
You'll also be doing something great for your health. Drinking alcohol, especially more than the recommended limits, can increase your cancer risk. About 4 in 100 cancers in the UK are linked to alcohol.
NHS guidelines advise that men and women should:
Like in the guidelines above, you may often hear the term ‘units’ when you hear about alcohol. If you’re unsure of what a unit of alcohol is, here are some figures for you.
1 unit of alcohol is equivalent to:
If you’re worried that you’re drinking more than the guidelines recommend, why not use this October to swap your Friday night cocktail for a yummy mocktail, and feel the benefits of drinking less. The Go Sober for October website also has some inspiring articles and tasty recipe ideas to help you make the most of your month.
Whatever your motivation to step up to the challenge, reducing your alcohol intake can also:
Drinkaware have more information about the benefits of cutting down on how much you drink.
What could the money I raise do?
Just £100 raised can be spent on our phone service, leading to our cancer support specialists helping people affected by cancer claim £3,902 in benefits they are entitled to. £210 could pay for a Macmillan nurse for a day, helping people living with cancer and their families receive essential medical, practical and emotional support. And £540 could pay for a Macmillan social worker or family support worker for a week to help people manage the social and practical problems of living with cancer.
So why not test out your superhero powers? Sign up today and become a Soberhero - make a healthy change to your lifestyle and help change the lives of people facing cancer.
To see what else Macmillan's cancer information team has been blogging about, please visit our blog home page! You can subscribe to receive our blogs by email or RSS too.
We're with you every step of the way
The Macmillan team is here to help. Our cancer support specialists can answer your questions, offer support, or simply listen if you need a chat. Call us free on 0808 808 00 00.
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Keep in touch Follow Macmillan’s cancer information team on Twitter @mac_cancerinfo
