Asian Family Services in New Zealand has launched Take a Moment: Understanding Alcohol Harm, a new campaign encouraging people to pause, reflect and make informed choices about alcohol. Launched on World No Alcohol Day, the campaign is part of the organisation’s Asian Alcohol Harm Prevention Initiative, supported by the Alcohol Harm Prevention Community Action Fund of Health New Zealand, Te Whatu Ora. The resources were co-designed with Asian communities, an Asian Lived Experience Group and a Clinical Advisory Group, with a strong focus on making conversations about alcohol more relevant and accessible within families and communities.
At the centre of the campaign is a free Self-Reflection Booklet, designed for Asian individuals who want to think privately about their own alcohol use, support someone they care about, or simply understand alcohol-related harm better. Rather than telling people what they should do, the booklet encourages them to notice patterns, consider what matters to them and identify possible sources of support. It also recognises that alcohol use is shaped by wider circumstances, including family responsibilities, health, finances, culture and social expectations.
The booklet combines practical information with reflection exercises. It explains standard drinks and includes examples such as soju, sake, baijiu and rice wine alongside beer, wine and spirits, helping make the information more relevant to different Asian drinking cultures. It also asks readers to consider when drinking feels like a personal choice and when it may be influenced by social, family, cultural or workplace pressure. Other sections cover alcohol-related harm, New Zealand alcohol laws, ways to reduce risk and simple planning tools for people who may want to drink less, drink less often or find other ways to relax and connect.
A further strength of the campaign is that reflection is connected directly with support. The booklet provides details of confidential alcohol and drug services, peer support and culturally responsive help, while Asian Family Services itself offers free and private support in multiple Asian languages. The overall message is deliberately supportive: awareness is a first step, change can take different forms, and people should be able to seek help without judgement. The Take a Moment campaign therefore provides not just information about alcohol, but a practical tool that people can return to when they want to think about their drinking, discuss it with someone close to them or consider making a change.
Find more from Asian Family Services (New Zealand, October 2026)
