(Montreal) The 28 Day Alcohol Free Challenge will last 29 days for its 11th edition this year.
Although the name “28 Day Alcohol Free Challenge” is a registered trademark, the event adapts to the fact that 2024 is a leap year, while the month of February in which it will take place will last 29 days.
The Jean Lapointe Foundation, which organizes the Challenge, launched its 11 edition on Thursday during which it invites the population to take a break from their consumption throughout the month of February.
“We are not here to judge”
The son of the late Jean Lapointe, Jean-Marie Lapointe, who is among the spokespersons for the event, had fun with this additional day in an interview with The Canadian Press: “I think it’s a nice wink of eye. I want to tell the people who are going to board that I invite them to do so for 29 days. But if, after 28, you are no longer capable, you will open your bottle of beer! »
“We’re not here to judge, but I find it fun to be able to have this opportunity, after the holidays, for 28 days, to take a position on how I feel about my alcohol consumption. »
Target: 1 million
The Foundation has set a goal of raising $1 million, notably through individual registrations of $28, to support prevention efforts and the treatment of addictions.
Jean-Marie Lapointe says he sees it as “a great opportunity to realize all the benefits of taking a break from consumption on one’s physical and mental health in addition to raising awareness among the population about problems related to addiction.”
The money raised is used to support Maison Jean Lapointe, which works in the prevention, awareness and treatment of addictions. It should be noted that the organization not only supports people in situations of dependency, but also supports their families and loved ones.
To encourage participation, registrants will have access to discounts from some of the Challenge’s partners, which benefit from numerous corporate supports.
Éduc’alcool joins the effort
The Éduc’alcool organization also decided to become a partner of the event, seeing it as an initiative to raise awareness among the population “to make informed choices regarding responsible consumption,” says its general director, Geneviève Desautels. “By taking on the 28 Day Challenge,” she adds, “participants have the opportunity to question their relationship with alcohol and explore ways to find their right measure. »
Jean-Marie Lapointe also strongly emphasizes that the idea is not to advocate abstinence, but to simply take a step back: “We are not encouraging you to stop drinking for the rest of your life , but just to observe yourself: how you feel in the first week, the first days, of not drinking. It gives you a kind of self-examination to see that, for example, I find it difficult on Friday evening, not to open my bottle of wine or not to celebrate a promotion with a drink. »
This year, the 28 Day Alcohol-Free Challenge will take place from 1er February to February 29 inclusive.
Interested people are invited to visit www.defi28jours.com.