Everyone enjoys a drink every once in a while. It doesn’t matter if you’re a wine fan, avid beer drinker, or if you prefer a glass of fancy whisky. However, during certain periods of the year, mainly the holidays, people tend to drink substantially more than during a normal weekend! Alcohol is not good for the human body and can lead to severe addictions or health-related issues. This is why the company Alcohol Change UK launched their “Dry January” campaign, where participants try to not drink a single drop of alcohol for the first month of the year. Keep on reading to discover more!
People love to binge drink during the holiday period!
December is one of the best months for alcohol producers all over the world. People find Christmas and New Year’s Eve the perfect time to let go of all boundaries and drink as much as they want. In the UK, men drink around 8 units of alcohol, which is four decently filled wine glasses, on average. When you take into consideration that there are people who don’t drink at all, the actual number of consumed alcohol units might be higher! For women, there is also a rise in the amount of drinks consumed, but with 3 alcohol units on average, it is still less than the men!
For most people, their New Year resolutions include bettering their lives, losing weight, and being more active all around. To achieve their goals they’ll say no to alcohol and try to drink less. This is where Dry January comes into play and helps thousands of people each year to better their lives by consuming less alcohol!
How did Dry January Start
Dry January became a thing in 2013 when UK company Alcohol Change UK started the challenge. There were just 4000 registered participants during the first edition. However it has now grown to be one of the most popular things to do during January. In 2024, more than 215.000 people registered to participate and not drink during the month of January. This number is expected to grow each year.
The charity also uses apps and daily coaching emails to help people fight this “battle”. It has become a personal challenge for some people but they don’t register their participation. These people take it as something they just want to achieve themselves. About one in 3 men in the UK plan a January without alcohol and intend to drink less in general!
