Dry January: It means that you do not drink alcohol during the month of January. Experts say it gives your body a chance to reset and allows you to reevaluate your relationship with alcohol – and it’s becoming increasingly popular.
Which started when I lived in Great Britain Emily Robinson She quit drinking to train for a half marathon in 2011, turning into an official Alcohol Change UK campaign that took off. Today, millions of people in Britain and across the pond in the US have pledged to ‘stay dry’ by January 2024.
Kim Evans was something of a pioneer. She started getting dry about 15 years ago as part of a program at her gym in Atlanta. She was in her mid-20s and “hangovers were becoming a thing,” she says, so she tried it.
“I did it with my gym buddies and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it, and it was much easier than I expected,” she says.
At first, Evans says, the social pressure was worse than the desire: “It was almost as if misery loves company and people didn’t want me to succeed.” Now she is a professional and answers questions with humor. Where she once needed an ‘accountability buddy’ to help her through the month, she now shares her tips and tricks with others.
As a veteran of Dry January, Evans, 39, says there are many benefits: fewer binge eating, better sleep, more energy, better hydration and more attention to nutrition.
“I always feel better,” says the licensed professional counselor. An added bonus: “I’m always impressed with how much more money I have.”
These are just some of the benefits of short-term abstinence, says George Koob, PhD, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Studies show that abstinence from alcohol for one month can lead to improvements in insulin resistance, blood pressure, body weight and cancer-related growth factors.
Research has long shown that alcohol consumption increases the risk of stroke, heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver disease and several forms of cancer, among many other diseases. It can also be bad for your sleep, mood, decision-making, driving, workplace performance and social interactions.
Dry January “actually reflects a cultural change in our country,” says Koob, who has spent most of his career studying the neurobiology of addiction. “People are becoming increasingly aware that alcohol is the root cause of individual health problems.”
The NIAAA is not preaching a ban, says Koob, but the institute does support international initiatives such as Dry January, Sober October and Dry July. He’s also pleased with the growth of mocktails and dry bars, which have seen sales increase by hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years.
“It gives people the opportunity to not drink without feeling stigmatized,” he says.
Chris Marshall, 40, opened the alcohol-free Sans Bar in Austin, Texas, in 2017, in part to help combat that stigma. He’s seen an explosion of new products and creative concoctions.
Non-alcoholic drinks once meant soda, juice, bad beer and mediocre wine, Marshall says. Now it’s not just establishments like his that have raised the bar, but entire specialty stores selling plant-based products and other non-alcoholic products of much higher quality.
Marshall wasn’t always a champion of the dry life. He struggled with himself. As editor of his high school newspaper, he would sneak into the darkroom for a drink. He realized he had a problem in college and kicked the booze — he will be sober for 17 years in February — before seeking therapy.
In his work as a mental health counselor, he met many patients who, like him, struggled with substance abuse. He also saw adults ‘looking for connection’ – no surprise in a country struggling with a ‘epidemic of loneliness,” said the US Surgeon General.
Sans Bar is his way of helping. People connect over sophisticated drinks without the risks and complications that can come with drinking alcohol – drinks like Marshall’s Gold Fashioned, made with non-alcoholic whiskey and bitters, sweet potato simple syrup, cherry and an orange peel garnish.
Sans Bar is more than just drinks, though, Marshall says. If you close your eyes, he says, you hear the sounds you hear in any bar: music, talking, bartenders making drinks, but the conversations are different.
“People are much more present and talking to and with each other, rather than at each other,” he says.
There’s a lull in business around the holidays, Marshall says, but “once January 1st rolls around, it’s our time to shine.”
Having an alternative drink is just one key to a successful Dry January, says Koob. It doesn’t have to be Gold Fashioned. Soda water with lime works great. (And Evans notes that it looks like alcohol and deflects the inevitable questions about whether she’s pregnant!)
Other tips for success, according to Koob:
- Inform friends and family of your ‘dry’ plans.
- If possible, recruit a loved one to come with you.
- Practice a polite but assertive “no thank you” for drink offers.
- Make sure you have a plan ready before February 1.
- Ensure non-alcoholic options are available at gatherings (host or guest).
Use Dry January as an opportunity to reevaluate your relationship with alcohol, says Koob. Notice when you’re craving it and try to find other ways to address these issues. Feeling anxious? A visit to the gym might be just what you need. Fancy social interaction? Try a walk or dinner with a friend.
Finally, Koob says it’s important to note the positive aspects of abstinence. Keep a journal, he says, and note any improvements you notice in your health, behavior, or interactions with others. Using an app can help with goal setting and tracking progress. Alcohol Change UK offers the Try Dry app, but there are others. Ask your health insurer for advice if you are unsure.
Remember, Koob says, “If you feel better when you stop drinking for a month, your body is trying to tell you something.”