Many of us look forward to happy hour on a Friday evening after work to relax and unwind. It's a time when we get together with friends and work colleagues and socialise. But why do we do it over alcohol?

Why don't we just meet in a park, coffee shop or some venue without the alcohol? The Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CADA) is trying to get people to contemplate these types of questions. It's a feat CADA attempt to do all year but the group makes an extra push in April — Alcohol Awareness month.

This year chairman Anthony Santucci said the council will again hold a day where everyone should abstain from drinking alcohol.

"We are going to have No Alcohol Day again on the last Friday in April," he said. "On No Alcohol Day we are asking people not to drink and to think about their relationship with alcohol. We want the residents of Bermuda to realise that you can go out with friends after work and not drink alcohol. You can have a happy hour without alcohol."

This year marks the second time CADA have held the event. "We believe the day was extremely successful because people were talking about it whether or not they decided to participate," said Mr. Santucci.

"The objective was to get people to think about their relationship with alcohol. We did that. Many people observed the day and made decisions for themselves about whether or not they would extend it."

And Mr. Santucci said because local statistics show that the majority of alcohol-related accidents happen on Friday nights, CADA has no plans to change the day the abstention is observed.

"Many people ask CADA why a Friday? Why not a Monday or Wednesday?" he said. "It only makes sense to select the day when most people would be out drinking during happy hour and later into the night."