If not, there is something to be said for it. Sometimes abstinence makes the heart grow healthier.

It is sad to say but the period we have just passed through is a time of excess for too many people. Heads may feel a little fuzzier. Belts may feel a little tighter - or a lot tighter. Livers may feel ... liverish.

So a time of easing off makes some sense in terms of health.

As the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare puts it: "Excess weight, especially obesity, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some musculoskeletal conditions and some cancers.

"As the level of excess weight increases, so does the risk of developing these conditions. In addition, being overweight can hamper the ability to control or manage chronic conditions."

So cutting the calories might be a good idea and, it's sad to say, alcohol is a source of calories. It takes about 35 minutes of walking to burn off a standard restaurant glass of wine (55 minutes for a schooner of mid-strength beer).

And if you are worried about your alcohol consumption apart from its calorific content, giving it up for a while might just prove that you can do it, both to yourself and to those around who might doubt your willpower.

But - and there is a big but - for many alcohol is one of the delights of life. We do not want to be anybody's nanny on this.

There is nothing quite like a crisp, cold chardonnay, Riesling or pinot gris from any of the magnificent wineries in our region. That first sip at the end of a day is bliss.

It needs the right accoutrement, of course. Everybody knows a good drink needs a good glass - sparkling and shiny clean and, ideally, delicate.

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If you feel a period of abstinence will do you good, go for it - but we are not puritanical about this. Wine and beer are delights to be savoured.

The key is moderation.

It is pleasing to note Australians are becoming more moderate in their drinking habits. And it is particularly pleasing to note the decline has been most marked in younger people.

According to two academics from the University of Newcastle: "Over the past 15 years, alcohol consumption has decreased in Australia, from 10.8 litres per capita per year down to 9.4 litres, the lowest seen in 50 years. Similar trends have been seen globally.

"The reduction has been particularly stark for the younger age groups: the number of people in their 20s abstaining from alcohol increased from 8.9 per cent in 2001 to 22 per cent in 2019.

"Saying no to excessive drinking is the new act of youth rebellion."

This is all to the good. There is a joy to drinking alcohol and a cost to drinking too much of it. When we lose control, we make fools of ourselves. The jokes are only funny to the joker. Everybody can see the folly except the drunken fool.

There was a time when the stark choice seemed to be between drinking or staying sober. But the new way, with the young in the lead, is not so binary.

There is now what has been termed "mindful drinking", where people make an active decision to drink but not to binge. It has even become fashionable as a sort of movement on social media with hashtags like #soberissexy #sobercurious and #hangoverfree.

Without wanting to sound too puritanical, we applaud this self-restraint. Binge-drinking is disgusting but alcohol is a delight.

Whatever you drink in January, do it in moderation.

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