“Dry February” calls for reducing alcohol consumption. Last year, 1.6 million Czechs joined the campaign.
Alcohol addiction affects approximately one million people in our country. Another 1.5 million are on the verge of it. Due to drinking, people die on average up to 24 years earlier than the rest of the population. The Dry February campaign, which is starting right now, aims to reverse this negative trend.
Alcohol addiction often takes a cruel toll. Despite the fact that it relaxes the mind and simplifies the establishment of social relationships. An example of how excessive consumption causes life tragedies is actor Filip Čapka, who initially entered the audience's awareness as a significant young talent. However, the artist ran into problems. His battle with alcoholism even completely halted his professional ascent for a time.
Even more well-known in this context was the case of singer Iveta Bartošová. The pressure from the media and personal relationships significantly affected her career. She began to seek escape in alcohol.
The son of the king of comedians Vladimír Menšík, Petr, started drinking with his father at the age of fourteen. Since the 90s, he ran his own café in Brno, which unfortunately went bankrupt. He found solace in alcohol, resulting in 13 executions totaling nearly two million crowns. He ended up homeless.
And if we look further into history, we come across actor Jiří Hrzán. Although his natural acting and charisma quickly propelled him to the top, his addiction led to his tragic death at just 41 years old. These are by no means isolated cases.
A Month Without Alcohol
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Czech Republic ranks high in global alcohol consumption per person, with an average annual consumption of more than 11 liters of pure alcohol per person over the age of 15.
Just last year, 1.6 million Czechs participated in the campaign "Dry February," which aims to raise awareness about issues with alcohol consumption. By not touching alcohol for a month, people primarily benefited their own health.
“The most common benefits include a clear mind and more energy. The vast majority of participants also feel personal pride in having remained abstinent. And about sixty percent of them report better sleep, which is a big benefit. A third of participants lose weight. Many also appreciate financial savings,”
said Petr Freimann, the director of the nonprofit organization Suchej únor, to the server Lidovky.cz.
Non-Alcoholic Beers
More and more people are opting for non-alcoholic beers. At least occasionally, 85 percent of adults consume it, according to last year's survey by the Ipsos agency for the Czech Association of Breweries and Malt Houses. The share of non-alcoholic beer in total domestic consumption has increased to roughly 10 percent. In 2019 it was 6.3 and in 2013 only 4.4 percent. The reason is the wide range of flavored variants, but also people's desire for a healthier lifestyle.
“Czechs are already used to the fact that this is a completely common alternative to alcoholic beverages if they cannot or do not want to drink alcohol,”
said Tomáš Slunečko, the executive director of the association, in a press release.
Even this February is no exception in this regard. As we have found out, people also order non-alcoholic beers in restaurants. For example, in the center of Prague lies Club Betlémská, where you can have non-alcoholic Budvar or even German non-alcoholic wheat beer Maisel Weisse.
"Interest in non-alcoholic beers is increasing for us. At this moment, however, we cannot yet say whether Dry February might also contribute to this,"
said one of the local staff to the editorial team.
Health Issues
It is even more important that people do not drink regularly every day. The danger, in this case, is especially various somatic risks, liver damage, and damage to other internal organs, experts warn. But that is certainly not the end of it.
Consumption affects not only overall health but also the reproductive abilities of both men and women. Studies show that even low doses of alcohol, i.e., roughly less than seven drinks a week, can negatively impact fertility and reduce chances of conception.
"Alcohol can have a much greater impact on fertility than most people realize. It has been proven that even moderate alcohol consumption can affect egg quality, sperm function, and hormonal balance,"
stated Dr. Nicole Mardešićová from the Pronatal clinic for LP-Life.
Many of those who are addicted to alcohol end up in the care of medical facilities.
"The number of patients being treated for a certain type of addiction does not change significantly year over year, but the costs associated with the treatment of complications that require hospitalization are rising annually. For example, from 2021 to 2024, we paid 519,725,945 crowns for the treatment of alcohol-related disorders for our clients,"
wrote to the editorial office Zdeňka Salcman Kučerová, director of the Healthcare Section of the Health Insurance Company of the Ministry of the Czech Republic.
More and more of us are either limiting consumption or getting rid of it entirely. And the "Dry February" campaign is a suitable opportunity for this. Don't you think?
Sources: author article, own inquiry, Lidovky.cz, Czech Association of Breweries and Malt Houses
