The Drug Foundation is offering people a chance to give their bodies a break in February after the excesses of the holiday season.
The FebFast challenge is a nationwide health and charity event encouraging people to forgo alcohol during February while raising money to support young people with alcohol- or drug-related problems.
"Having a break from alcohol for a month gives FebFasters space for reflection, and an opportunity to think about how they might achieve some balance across all aspects of their lives in the coming year," said FebFast co-ordinator Catherine Milburn.
FebFast has run for three years in Australia, where more than 10,700 people have participated, raising over $1.7 million for a range of charities. It will run for the first time in New Zealand this year.
Participants register online and make an initial $25 donation. Friends and family then sponsor them to remain alcohol-free for all of February by making donations through their personalised fund-raising page. Donations are tax-deductable.
Funds raised by FebFasters support the Amplify! Programme run by Odyssey House (Auckland), Adventure Therapy at Waipuna (Christchurch), He Taumata Toa - Growing Champions (Wellington) and Mirror Services (Dunedin).