Not everybody will count in 2016 with a drink in hand.
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![HAPPY NEW YEAR: Daniel Bormann will ring in the new year with his favourite drop - water. He gave up alcohol a year ago. Picture: BLAIR THOMSON HAPPY NEW YEAR: Daniel Bormann will ring in the new year with his favourite drop - water. He gave up alcohol a year ago. Picture: BLAIR THOMSON](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/e8uBJxuTc2fGAziDArmhm5/0284a3b6-16dc-447f-8ec4-66827cd2215b.jpg/r0_808_2850_4501_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
This New Year’s Eve will mark one year sober for Wodonga man Daniel Bormann.
“After New Years me and my friend made a pact to get off the grog and it’s probably the best decision I’ve made,” he said.
“I’ve found my health, mental and physical, has hugely improved in every single way, money has improved hugely and people in general find me more pleasant to be around,” he said.
Mr Bormann said he had felt the pressure of Australian drinking culture in the past year and wanted to reassure revellers in the end of year celebrations that there’s no shame in not drinking.
“We don’t need the stigma, we don’t need the negativity, we all just want to enjoy the new year and walk into a new year with the best attitude we can have,” he said.
Victorian Health Promotion Foundation programs executive manager Bruce Bolam said a survey of 2500 Victorian adults broke down the stereotype that all Australians were “drunks”.
Dr Bolam said only 40 per cent of people identified as heavy drinkers whereas 26 per cent of people were more self-disciplined and 21 per cent of people rarely or never consumed alcohol.
“About 60 per cent of all Victorian young people don't drink to get drunk,” he told The Border Mail.
“That's a really important message because often if you ask the general community, what they feel is everyone else wants them to drink.
“We have to build ourselves a culture where we don't feel obliged to drink.”