Amid New Year Resolutions, Saint Lucians Urged To Adopt Healthy Lifestyles

Saint Lucia’s Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat (SAACC) has encouraged citizens to adopt sustained practices that protect health and become part of a lifestyle.

The SAACC reminder came amid the global tradition where some people adopt New Year resolutions that frequently involve temporary abstinence from habits that could prove harmful.

Others resolve to continue good practices, change an undesired trait, accomplish a personal goal, or improve their behaviour at the beginning of the year.

However, according to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, evidence for actual behaviorial changes after New Year resolutions is mixed.

“The effect is most pronounced immediately after the New Year, but decreases soon afterwards,” the online publication noted.

Some common resolutions include saving money, dieting, exercising, quitting smoking, and abstaining from alcohol or reducing intake.

In that regard, Alcohol Change UK, a nonprofit organisation, founded ‘Dry January’ and created a free mobile app called ‘Try Dry’, allowing users to track alcohol consumption and money saved, set goals, and monitor their well-being, such as sleep levels and mood. The app is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

There’s also the Dry January challenge, where people vow to go alcohol-free for the month.

Health officials have expressed concern that alcohol consumption has woven itself into the cultural fabric of Saint Lucia, particularly in social gatherings where youth start drinking at an early age.

A 2018 Saint Lucia National Drug Report indicated that alcohol is the drug most often used and warrants treatment (45.45%), with marijuana being the second (43.64%).

Regarding promises  that include reducing alcohol intake or abstaining altogether, some reports indicate that people abandon as many as eighty percent of New Year resolutions by February.

Motivational Speaker Alex Sheen’s  recommendation for success includes breaking a big commitment into smaller segments and devising a plan.

Sheen told Good Morning America that intent alone is insufficient.