OCSOBER -Sober in October – Australia’s #1 Sobriety Event

OCSOBER is an initiative by Australia’s Life Education organisation.

OCSOBER is somewhat similar to the UK’s Dry January.

Like Dry January, OCSOBER encourages people to give up alcohol and booze for one month.

Like the name suggests, this takes place during October.

Funds generated from this event are used to empower Aussie kids.

We feel this is an excellent cause and one that could influence our own Dry January when it hits in a few months time.

This year, Life Education aims to raise at least $470,000 [5] through the OCSOBER fundraising initiative.

Below we list how Life Education aims to achieve this goal:

1.  By encouraging at least 5,000 people to give up the booze during October
2. The participants are then encouraged to ask their colleagues, family, and friends to sponsor them through the program by making donations
3. Lifetime Education also helps to recruit businesses to the OCSOBER initiative

What Australians say about the OCSOBER INITIATIVE?

According to Ms. Jennifer Wills [1] from Corrimal, the OCSOBER healthy education initiative benefits thousands of Australians per year.

She says the initiative fundraises for a good cause.

Being a beneficiary of the Life Education program herself, she says it’s only right that she gives back. That was her reason for joining the OCSOBER initiative in 2014.

Alcohol and drug abuse take its toll on families, relationships, and addict’s health.

Statistics show that about 3200 Australians die each year due to excessive alcohol consumption.

Alcoholism also has a financial cost [2], with the average alcohol expenditure at $32.20 per week vis a vis $30.60 education expenditure.

Studies also show that families that spend more on alcohol are likely to plunge into financial chaos.

The healthy education program does well to educate Aussie kids on the negative impact of booze so they can grow up to make informed decisions.

OCSOBER inspires people to change the world by changing their lifestyle first

According to Mathew Hayden, a former cricketer and now an OCSOBER ambassador, the only way to change the world is to start by making personal changes first [4].

And that’s the spirit behind OCSOBER initiative, that by breaking the cycle of alcoholism in one’s life, Aussie kids get educated and receive skills to live confidently without partaking in drugs and alcohol.

The Program benefits both Aussie kids and participants too

Though the money goes to fund education, participants, or OCSOBERITIES as they like to be called, benefit as they leave the program feeling healthier and fitter.

One Sharni Williams [3] who is also an OCSOBER ambassador and has participated in the program for two years now says it is an invitation to think outside the box and figure out ways to happiness without the need for booze.

How the OCSOBER Initiative helps

The funds raised by those who volunteer for the OCSOBER initiative goes to Life Education Australia. It helps to fund health education across Aussie schools to teach children that they can enjoy a healthy lifestyle without partaking in drugs and alcohol.

With over 7 million Australians have already gone through the program and 750,000 Aussie kids benefiting from the health education initiative, Life Education says so far so good. But the aim is to increase the amount raised each year.

Numbers [5] from Life Education show the following:

• Almost half of young Australians say they lack good adult role models
• About 4 million of the former participants are now in stable jobs, making viable decisions daily
• The program has even inspired beverage brands to launch some alcohol-free products such as Carlton Zero, ATL sprits, Sobah, and more

Why you should participate in the OCSOBER initiative

90 per cent of past OCSOBER participants say the program had a positive impact on their health. It inspired them to make the necessary lifestyle changes. The personal benefits of losing the booze for a month include:

• Health Improvement – giving up alcohol reduces the risk of diseases such as cancer, liver cirrhosis, and also lowers the blood pressure leading to healthy lives.
• More money and time – You can’t do anything constructive if you get wasted daily. Just take a look at docu-series highlighting how alcoholism rips families apart while leading to job losses at the same time. Giving up alcohol means you save the money and can use the time you would otherwise spend in a bar to do something with your family and friends.
• Enjoy sound sleep, better skin, and good mood due to reduced stress.
• Better relationships because of alcohol-related violence, aggression, and all that junk get eliminated.

How can Companies Support the OCSOBER Initiative?

Companies can promote the program, especially during September, and also encourage staff to participate. The CEOs can even volunteer as OCSOBER ambassadors.

They can also hold fun activities to raise money for the OCSOBER program. And lastly, for beverage brands, launching some alcohol-free drinks is the way to go!

Sources:

1. https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/2600923/why-jennifer-is-saying-no-during-ocsober/

2. https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/3385288/opinion-try-to-give-the-booze-a-miss-this-ocsober/

3. https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/escaping-the-alcohol-culture-for-ocsober-20170928-gyqcm1.html

4. https://www.nowtolove.com.au/health/fitness/why-you-should-get-involved-in-ocsober-21896

5. https://www.lifeeducation.org.au/news/its-ocsober-again-challenge-yourself-for-the-cause