While many English-speaking countries swear off booze for Dry January, Belgium celebrates a dry February with the alcohol-free “Tournée Minérale.”
Instead of cracking open a bottle on Saturday, many Belgians are putting down the beer in favour of better sleep, sharper focus, and no more sluggish mornings this month.
The Tournée Minérale, an initiative of the Flemish Expertise Centre in Alcohol and others Drugs (VAD) and Univers Santé, is now in its eighth edition in Belgium. Each year, approximately one in five adults in Flanders will participate in the event, forgoing alcohol and other intoxicants in favour of cleaner habits. Across the country 1.5 million Belgians said they would take part this year.
'No safe amount'
Belgium has a reputation for beer drinkers and gin sippers, but even ‘moderate’ alcohol intake, experts believe, has the chance to lead to serious long-term health consequences. Around 11 people suffer an alcohol-related death every day in Belgium. Brussels has the highest incidence of alcohol-related fatalities.
“Health can be a motivating factor, because alcohol is associated with many health complaints. From the relatively harmless hangover to blackouts, heart complaints, liver disorders, and cancer,” the VAD says.
Alcohol consumption has been linked to an array of cancers including those of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, colon, rectum, liver, and breast. Alcohol abuse has also been linked to stroke, digestive problems and even mental health problems.
Credit: Asbl Univers Santé
Unfortunately for fans of Belgian trappist beers or imported French wine, the head of Belgium’s Health Information Service now warns that there is “no such thing as a healthy level of alcohol consumption.” This is not to say that Belgians should, or will, ditch the drink forever. For each participant in the Tournée Minérale, the organisers state, the reasons to start a dry month are different.
“There are as many reasons to participate as there are participants,” says Tom Evenepoel, coordinator of Flemish substance helpline De Druglijn. “The fact that so many people participate shows the extent to which the realisation is growing that alcohol is not an innocent product. The norm regarding alcohol is changing, and we want to strengthen that change with Tournée Minérale.”
Lasting benefits
The VAD states that the positive effects of a dry month can have a lasting effect beyond the abstention period. According to a study conducted by Ghent University, those who participated in Belgium’s first dry February still drank an average of two units less of alcohol per week after the campaign compared to before.
A 2018 study published in the BMJ medical journal concluded that those who took a month-long break from alcohol lost weight thanks to improved insulin resistance. It also improved blood pressure among the participants of the trial and decreased liver inflammation, reducing the chances of fatty liver disease.
Credit: Daria Shevtsova/Pexels
Dependency on alcohol is a bigger issue than many realise. What starts as a relaxing evening beer or dinnertime glass of wine can quickly scale into a persistent habit. Even moderate drinkers report having difficulty when starting a dry month, often helping to put the scale of their habit into perspective. But the VAD wants to assure Belgians that they are not alone in their dry month journey.
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On their web page, the VAD allows users to share their motivations for quitting the booze and to share their own testimony about their alcohol-free mission with other users. On social media, the Flemish non-profit is also sharing tips and tricks to help make the dry period easier, complete with mocktail recipes.
As an additional motivation, this year the VAD is giving away 100 Dopper thermos bottles to participants who undertake the alcohol-free challenge.
Whether you missed Dry January, or want to push yourself further, now’s the time to say ‘yes’ to a healthier you. To join the challenge, visit the Tournée Minérale official website.
