It’s the last week of what is called Dry January with millions finishing up a month of abstaining from alcohol-based adult beverages. I’ve been impressed by how the movement is fast becoming a first-of-the-year tradition. More and more Americans have taken the Dry January pledge since it was introduced some 17 years ago as a public health program in the UK. Across the pond, 4,000 signed up that first year, with millions of Brits accepting the challenge during the last couple of years. Last January an estimated one in 5 Americans took part and organizers predict the final tally for this month will be even bigger.
I first heard about Dry January a couple of years ago, intrigued by the building enthusiasm — particularly among millennial young professionals who’ve been writing and posting about their experiences. A lot of them said the timing helped persuade them to pledge. Coming right after the end of the year often crammed with alcohol heavy events and the pressure to overindulge because, “Come on it’s the holidays.”
Social drinking is deeply embedded in American culture. Not only are signature cocktails the mark of a trendy restaurant, but we celebrate alcohol overindulgence in pop culture. The spin-off series, “Grownish”, regularly features fictional college students drinking or at an alcohol-fueled party. And those three wildly successful “Hangover” movies are actually comedic takes on alcohol blackouts. Health experts typically recommend that one drink per day for otherwise healthy adults is okay, but I see how easily I could imbibe much more. In any given week, I’m meeting friends at a bar for after-work catch ups, attending a couple of dinner meetings and other events preceded by wine and cheese and possibly grabbing brunch with my book club on the weekend. Or, I could just as easily end each weekday with more than a single glass of wine. I don’t do that, but many do. So, I understand why for them Dry January offers a communal way to regain control of their alcohol consumption, even if only for a month.
Dry January is being embraced by former social drinkers who’ve elected to cut back on their drinking, what’s called sober curious. They tout a lifestyle where drinking is not equated to a good time. Supporting this trend, alcohol free bars and events where fancy sparkling water is a fine substitute for alcoholic drinks. Bartenders compete by crafting attention-getting no alcohol drinks using exotic syrups and fresh herbs. In Bourbon-branded Kentucky, Jesse Hawkins created The Mocktail Project, telling "The Courier-Journal" that Dry January is “An opportunity to retool your social habits.”
British charity Alcohol Concern created Dry January and runs it as a program for improving overall health. And most one-month abstainers report better sleep, weight loss and improved concentration. Dry January is not aimed at those with serious alcohol problems and in fact, doctors say, abrupt alcohol withdrawal for alcoholics could be harmful. I have relatives who’ve succumbed to the disease of alcoholism. I know the misery it imposes on the out of control drinker and the heartbreak suffered by loved ones who are helpless witnesses. But if a voluntary booze break can be a tool to prompt others to rethink the social role of alcohol in their lives, so much the better.
