03 Apr 2013

Are we really drowning in a sea of grog?

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Two weeks ago, as I sat reading The Age on the train into work, I read the Australian poet, cartoonist and cultural commentator, Michael Leunig’s poem about the ‘rivers of grog’..

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By Howard Ralley. Two weeks ago, as I sat reading The Age on the train into work, I read the Australian poet, cartoonist and cultural commentator, Michael Leunig’s poem about the ‘rivers of grog’:

The rivers of grog are deep and wide, they keep the nation well supplied

Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney town; The rivers of grog flow quietly down

Down and down the throats they run. Mother, father, daughter, son

Black and white all stupefied. The rivers of grog are deep and wide.

As I sat on the train, and re-read the poem, I had one of those rare moments when you feel touched by words of wisdom simply told, and I stared out the window not wanting the feeling to pass too quickly. As the national director of febfast– the campaign that challenges everyone to take 28 days off alcohol – I find myself in a slightly strange job that discuss, debates, enjoys, questions and wonders about the role of alcohol in our society on a daily basis.

But through the course of this work, I’m asked on a regular basis by friends, radio dj’s and the odd family member; “so, err, are you a wowser?” The word is thrown out there with a sideways glance and slight hesitant smile. If McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty or treason without proper regard for evidence, then I often feel like a communist in 1950’s America’s at the very suggestion 28 days alcohol free is a good idea!

Self-preservation means I usually shrug it off with a laugh and switch to some personal drinking story of late nights out on the beer. But increasingly, I’m wondering why the question is asked in the first place. When did we all get so defensive about ‘not drinking’? Is it really un-Australian not to take a beer to a BBQ? Are we truly committing social suicide if we skip the Friday night drinks? And for the people asking the question, is there a genuine fear that their right to drink will be taken away from them by the return of some prohibition Temperance Movement, placards in tow? I have a feeling that the moment a drinker feels threatened by non-drinking, it’s a wake-up call that we have somehow lost sight of why we’re drinking in the first place.

Febfast is not anti-alcohol, far from it. We’re simply very proud of the fact that febfast has inspired thousands of people to create a circuit breaker from their summer of drinking, and to feel healthier, sharper and ready to kick start the year ahead. I’m even more humbled by the $5million raised to help young kids who have a genuine and serious problem in tackling addiction with alcohol and other drugs.

Even if it’s in a tiny tiny way, it’s nice to be part of a small dam that’s challenging our river of grog.

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