Why Phil Gave up Drinking (for a while...) - 9 Feb 2006
"I'm joining the thirstforlife campaign," write 24-7's UK Base Leader Phil Togwell, "which kicks off on 1st March 2006. And I reckon that every one of you should do so as well. Not because we have 'drink problems', but because the quantities of alcohol that (mostly, but not exclusively, young) people drink is a problem."The thirstforlife campaign is designed to raise awareness of the problems caused by binge-drinking... to the binge-drinkers themselves, and to the many others who are affected by it/them. Drunk-driving. Risky sexual behaviour. Heightened aggression and violence (leading to swamped Accident & Emergency departments every weekend). Loneliness. Damaged relationships. I guess we could go on?
"Having helped to set up a 'Safer Clubbing' project into local nightclubs and bars a few years ago, my colleague, Helen, and I spent many of our Friday and Saturday nights in the clubs and bars, talking with clubbers and offering our 
friendship and support. Sometimes it meant raising awareness, answering questions and offering advice, thus enabling young clubbers to make informed choices about their behaviour... sometimes it meant handing out fliers, cards and condoms... and sometimes it meant getting more practically involved when someone became distressed or sick or angry or violent or unable-to-walk-anymore or upset or panicky... for whatever reason. No two nights were the same! And rarely were they boring!?
friendship and support. Sometimes it meant raising awareness, answering questions and offering advice, thus enabling young clubbers to make informed choices about their behaviour... sometimes it meant handing out fliers, cards and condoms... and sometimes it meant getting more practically involved when someone became distressed or sick or angry or violent or unable-to-walk-anymore or upset or panicky... for whatever reason. No two nights were the same! And rarely were they boring!?"And here's the thing. The project was mainly funded with money from Drug Action Teams, and most of the resources that we were offered were targeted at recreational drug users... you know, ecstasy, speed, cannabis, whatever... and the expectation was that a lot of our conversations and interventions would be related to use of these recreational drugs.
But you know what? In the 6+ years I worked with the Safer Clubbing project, maybe 90% of those who were distressed or sick or angry or violent or unable-to-walk-anymore or upset or panicky (or much worse) had consumed nothing illegal... nothing except alcohol. Nothing except a *lot* of alcohol.
"It's a masive problem. And you can do something. You can join in with the thirstforlife campaign by going to the website and signing up. Fasting alcohol for 40 days isn't that hard! And if it is... maybe it's an even better reason to join in?!"
This is a personal piece by Phil Togwell, 24-7prayer's
UK Base Leader.