By Megan Dooley (Training & Education Officer)
Dry January is a popular challenge encouraging people to abstain from alcohol for the entire month of January. Organised by Alcohol Change UK and running since 2013, an average of 1 in 4 Brits take part, either completely abstaining or significantly cutting down on alcohol for the month. However, this challenge is not designed for people who are alcohol dependent.
While many consider having a beer or glass of wine when socialising an enjoyable pastime, it’s always worth remembering that alcohol is a depressant. It can disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters in our brain and affect our feelings, thoughts, and behaviour. Many people in the UK drink at levels harmful to their health without necessarily realising it.
Dry January enables participants to test the role alcohol plays in their lives and the impact it might be having on their physical and mental health. Research into the positive benefits of cutting down on alcohol consumption include much better sleep, more energy, saving money, and other physical health improvements. These benefits often lead to sustained change: around three-quarters of people who take the challenge significantly limit or abstain from alcohol for up to six months afterward.
I find these benefits compelling, which is why I do Dry January every year. I tend to have a busier social calendar in the run-up to Christmas, which for me includes a lot more social drinking, so I use January to reset and recharge my body. I find that at first, I will crave sugar in the evenings, which is a reminder of how much sugar there is in a glass of wine, especially as I don’t have a particularly strong sweet tooth. I always notice the physical and mental health benefits, and completing the challenge gives me a confidence boost for the new year ahead.
While Dry January is clearly beneficial for personal health, the challenge’s increasing popularity has an impact on our local pubs. Pubs see a decrease in visitors and a significant drop in sales in January, which has left many reaching out to their communities asking for support.
Community pubs are often essential to local life, serving as hubs for social connection. Beyond the obvious, they provide a range of community benefits, including hosting local activities, preserving local culture and traditions, and creating local jobs. They also offer informal support for vulnerable groups by providing a safe and accessible space. This is why it’s so important for our pubs to survive and thrive; their contribution to community wellbeing goes way beyond providing a place to drink.
As people are becoming more conscious about their alcohol consumption, many pubs are proactively adapting their services. They are now selling alcohol-free drinks and putting on different events to encourage socialising outside of drinking, such as quizzes, live music, and workshops. Pub is the Hub, a not-for-profit organisation, recognises this unique role and provides funding for local pubs to diversify their services to benefit their local communities.
So, Dry January is a great chance for a personal reset, but it doesn’t mean you have to stay in. You can enjoy the social atmosphere and support your local pub while trying out the challenge.
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Alcohol and Mental Health: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/alcohol-and-mental-health
Dry January Website: https://alcoholchange.org.uk/
Pub is the Hub: https://www.pubisthehub.org.uk/
