THREE KEY FACTS: The total volume of alcoholic beverages available for consumption was down 4.3% in the past year to 477 million litres. This decline was noticeable across beer, wine and spirits consumption, latest Stats NZ figures show.
Alcohol increases the risk of cancer, heart and liver disease, stroke, mental ill-health and sleep disturbance. Jamie Morton is a specialist in science and environmental reporting. He joined the Herald in 2011 and writes about everything from conservation and climate change to natural hazards and new technology.
OPINION For thousands of Kiwis, Dry July has become a mid-winter ritual: take a booze break and raise some money for cancer sufferers. What happens to us when we shun alcohol for a month? Jamie Morton finds out..