According to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey Report, one in eight Australians has never had a drink. This number has apparently doubled over the last twenty years, and in a lot of younger circles it would seem that choosing to drink lemonade rather than lager is becoming fashionable.
With high profile groups like Hello Sunday Morning growing in popularity, and charity events like FebFast, Dry July and Oc-Sober gathering traction there does seem to be a bit of a change happening in our culture.
Part of this seems to be that people are starting to be more aware of the things they don’t actually have to have in their lives, and are becoming much more conscious about health issues. The charity events mentioned above all combine staying sober for a month with raising money for good causes, taking a cue from international charity events like Run For Life and Movember.
We don’t think that we’re going to see the collapse of bar culture any time soon in Australia, but it’s good to see some awareness of the dangers of binge drinking. Alcohol is so much a part of our social lives that it’s hard to imagine the dating scene without it, but we are seeing people choose a wider range of dating locations than before.
Something to think about when arranging your next date, anyway.