Wanting It Now, Not Wanting It Later
When I wanted to stop drinking, I wasn’t thinking about cancer.
I was thinking about the hangover I’d have the next day. The feeling of wasted time & money.
The long-term effects of alcohol felt distant and clinical. Not for me. Not yet.
I get why health warnings exist and they can land in the right setting ~ especially in healthcare where people are already facing those risks.
But for me in my early 20s, and many others, it missed the mark because it was too far removed.
It’s like fast food. Do I know it’s not the best choice? Absolutely. But do I want to be shamed or scared into not eating it? Not really.
After a Five Guys over the weekend ~ my favourite go-to ~ I felt bloated, salty, and full. A proper food hangover.
That’s why I don’t eat it often. It’s the immediate consequences. And alcohol is the same for many.
For me, the immediate consequences from alcohol were enough to make me stop. And 10 years on, I’m still staying stopped ~ not because of cancer, but because of the hangxiety, feeling trapped and unfulfilled.
I follow PTs because they make a fitness lifestyle look visible & attractive. They don’t shame me for eating something “bad.” They show me how I can try to feel my best.
That’s what we’re doing at Arclett. We’re not telling people what they shouldn’t do. But showing them what life can look like if they want to make a change.
We want to make an alcohol-free lifestyle visible, attractive & culturally relevant. Not fear-based. Just a little bit better.
That’s why our prevention strategy focuses only on what we gain, not what we might lose.
Fear-based messages can be effective, especially when the damage is already visible. But prevention that lasts has to meet people where they’re at.
Prevention in 2025 isn’t about scaring people into quitting. It’s about planting a seed, showing what’s possible when you make a small change.
Because prevention isn’t just about avoiding disaster ~ it’s about helping people picture a life that’s just a little bit better.
