Mayor speaking

This is the mayor of Emmen: Eric van Oosterhout. He also participates in Dry January with IkPas. He shares his break experiences in a column that recently appeared in the Emmer Courant. 

Suppose I were not allowed to eat chocolate sprinkles for a month. That would be difficult. Or don't read a book for a month. That makes me even more nervous. Or not seeing the Three Daughters for a month. That is already on the verge of survival.
Compared to that,a month without alcohol' not such a task. I like to drink a glass of wine, preferably every now and then with a good meal. And when it's hot, I don't turn down a beer either. I used to drink a 'young one' with my dear father. Since his death I have never drunk jenever again; the last Bokma went to the neighbor across the street.
So when I was approached about rejoining the 'IkPas promotion' I didn't doubt for a moment. I could survive that month without alcohol. If you have any doubts about that, then that is immediately a reason to participate. Drinking alcohol is not a mortal sin and is tasty in moderation. But if you don't have to think about stopping for a month, then you have a problem.
Unfortunately, that is true for many people. In addiction care, a distinction is made between 'problem drinkers', 'heavy drinkers' and 'alcoholics'. Problem drinkers are people who drink a lot and therefore have all kinds of problems, such as health problems, hassle in the relationship or at work. You are called a 'heavy drinker' if you drink more than six glasses at least once a week. If that turns into daily use, and that can't stop either, then you're soon an 'alcoholic'.
It will be clear that excessive alcohol causes many problems. In any case, you make the chance of getting old a lot smaller. Who then lives, who then cares. But in the short term, drinking too much alcohol causes all kinds of problems in daily life. And then I'm not even talking about the great risk of participating in traffic with too much alcohol.
An even greater risk is alcohol consumption among young people. A quarter of young people between the ages of 12 and 16 regularly drink alcohol. The well-known professor Scherder can tell fascinatingly and convincingly how harmful alcohol is for the development of an adolescent brain. Moreover, it makes young people vulnerable; so drunk girls are easy prey for all kinds of wrong people.
For young people under the age of 18, the advice is very simple: 'Nix'.
The medical advice applies to drinking adults: do not drink or drink in moderation. Do not believe any myths that alcohol is good for the heart and blood vessels, for example. The authoritative Health Council advises: "don't drink or no more than 1 glass a day".
The 'IkPas campaign' can help you with that. You get a lot of advice. And with thousands of participants you are stronger than just in front of your own bar.