if it was easy to give up smoking, then odds are you don't get easily addicted and therefore would find it reasonably easy to stop drinking, and therefore are not dependent and therefore don't need to worry on that score. Still, if anyone ever is concerned about the amount you drink, the month off is a good way of showing you and them that there's no need to worry - and giving your body a bit of a detox too. Like I said, I'm not medical, my definition is merely psychological. I also don't know medical ins and outs of long term/short term damage to liver or brain or anything I doubt your GP wants to get into an argument with you when she has a load of other patients to see and drinking isn't what you came to see her about in the first place. You're more likely to cut down from 5-6 to 3-4 a night than to stop altogether. You're an intelligent person and you *know* you're just being blase about the alcohol intake/heart disease thing.