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Movember conjures up images of pretty epic handlebar mustaches and events at local breweries to raise funds in support of men’s health issues—specifically mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

Oh, the irony.

Drinking to raise money to prevent mental health issues and cancer.

Studies show that alcohol is linked to greater risks for developing testicular cancer, prostate cancer, mental health issues, and higher suicide rates in men.

We’re encouraging drinking alcohol to raise money to treat the very conditions that drinking alcohol causes.

The marketing geniuses really hit it out of the ballpark with that one!

So what Movember move should men be making in the interest of their health—both mental and physical?

To improve health across the board, a single choice comes to mind. For the 30 days of “Movember” commit to taking a break from the brewskis and the booze.

If you’re serious about supporting men’s health and promoting the causes that can benefit it—encouraging mindful drinking needs to be the move you make.

How can men benefit from a break from alcohol?

The Center for Disease Control reports that men are more likely than women to drink excessively. Excessive drinking is associated with significant risks to men’s health and safety. These risks increase with the amount of alcohol consumed. Men are also more likely than women to take other risks including misusing other substances, having multiple sex partners, or not wearing a seat belt, that, when combined with alcohol, further increases their risk of illness, injury, or death.

More Dangerous Than a Netflix Binge

Men typically drink more per serving and more often than women. In fact, 59 percent of adult men report drinking alcohol in the last 30 days. In addition, approximately 22 percent of adult men report binge drinking five times a month, averaging eight drinks per binge.

Men are two times more likely to binge drink than women. Additionally, men have a harder time turning down drinks—especially when group mentality comes into play. In 2019, seven percent of men had an alcohol use disorder compared with four percent of women.

Brain Fog

As innocent as having a few beers with the boys might sound, excessive drinking has far-reaching and devastating consequences when it comes to men and alcohol use. Alcohol use causes brain fog, or impaired judgment, and the end result can be lethal. Male drivers are almost twice as likely as female drivers to have been intoxicated in fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Alcohol slows down your gross motor skills along with your decision-making centers. This makes operating a motor vehicle a lethal and dangerous task. Forty-six percent of male traffic deaths are alcohol-related, compared with 29 percent of female traffic deaths.

Trouble in Paradise

The marketing machine has really done its work when it comes to selling romance in a bottle. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Booze doesn’t build relationships, it tears them apart. Drinking can increase aggression and impulsiveness. Remember those decision-making centers have been muted so you’re no longer rationally thinking through your actions. Two-thirds of victims of spousal violence report that the aggressor had been drinking. In a global study of intimate partner violence, the odds were higher worldwide in relationships where one or both partners had problems with alcohol, compared to relationships where neither of them did.

Let’s Get It On

Ever heard of or had firsthand experience with whiskey dick? That mustache might be sexy, but that last shot just made sure you won’t be able to get it on tonight! Drinking interferes with testicular function and male hormone production, resulting in impotence, infertility, and reduction of male secondary sex characteristics such as facial and chest hair. Alcohol use is also linked with lower testosterone levels that can cause your sex drive to tank altogether.

The silver lining? A break from drinking for Movember means an even more epic stache!

F*ck Cancer

Not going to sugar coat this one or even ease you into it. In addition to the previously mentioned links to prostate and testicular cancer, alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon in men. In fact, the World Health Organization has reported that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption due to the risks involved from drinking it. Evidence suggests that the more alcohol a person drinks, the higher his or her risk of developing alcohol-associated cancer.

Make a Break for Movember

Men’s health is a topic that deserves attention, fundraising, and support. However, promoting men’s health while engaging in the very activities that are a detriment to it just doesn’t make sense.

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If you’re ready to make your Movember move a step forward in men’s health, join the more than 290,000 people who have tried The Alcohol Experiment. The members of our free community are all seeking better health and a better mindset when it comes to their relationship with alcohol.

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