Dry January is motivating many Americans to start the year alcohol-free. The campaign began in 2013 when the nonprofit Alcohol Change UK introduced Dry January as a public health initiative.
Its mission was to urge people to rethink their drinking habits, especially after the holiday season. Organizers also wanted to highlight benefits such as better sleep, weight management and improved mental clarity.
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“These are people who may want to use January to put a mirror up to their own relationship with alcohol, just to reflect,” says Dr. Michael Caldwell, chief medical officer of Dry January USA. “We’re not anti-alcohol. We want everyone to have their own journey.”
However, Dr. Caldwell warns that people who drink five or more alcoholic beverages a day may need professional guidance before taking on Dry January.
Dr. Caldwell, who teaches public health at Meharry School of Global Health and Meharry Medical College, now works to expand Dry January within the U.S.
Recently, Dry January USA signed a licensing agreement with Alcohol Change UK to manage the Dry January trademark in the states. Organizers are pushing to earn the movement recognition nationwide.
In fact, Jan. 7, 2025, marks the inaugural Dry January USA Day, featuring bright yellow illuminations in cities such as Chicago and Nashville.
Non-alcoholic trends on the rise
According to a Beer Institute and Morning Consult poll, 58% of Americans reach for low- or no-alcohol beer options during Dry January. Dr. Caldwell notes that “there are these technological advances for adult non-alcoholic beverages.”
He adds, “It offers people choices to be able to have that feel and experience of a beer, wine, or cocktail without them really missing that there’s no alcohol in it.”
Meanwhile, non-alcoholic wine is also growing. Vintense, a company specializing in alcohol-free wine, says their product retains the antioxidant power of grape juice, including anthocyanins that can improve energy and immunity while helping to protect against cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.
Health concerns go beyond the liver
A Gallup poll shows 45% of Americans think having one or two drinks a day is bad for health, yet 58% still consume alcohol. Experts say alcohol-related dangers extend well beyond the liver.
“They think, oh, maybe liver cancer. Well, yes, but all the digestive cancers in your mouth, your esophagus, colon cancer, breast cancer,” warns Caldwell. “Many women really don’t realize there’s a strong link between any alcohol use and their risk of breast cancer.”
Planning ahead and using accountability tools help many people succeed with Dry January. Alcohol Change UK’s “Try Dry” app, for instance, allows participants to track their alcohol-free days and recognize important milestones.
If Dry January sounds appealing, consider your own health status and habits first. Then, decide if going alcohol-free next month might lead to more lasting changes all year long.
“ONE DOWN, 29 TO GO.”
[KENNEDY FELTON]
LIKE HOMER SIMPSON COUNTING DOWN *HIS DAYS WITHOUT BEER… MANY PEOPLE ARE GEARING UP FOR A MONTH-LONG BOOZE-FREE CHALLENGE WITH DRY JANUARY.
THE CONCEPT OF TAKING AN ALCOHOL-FREE MONTH TO START THE YEAR STARTED IN 20-13… WHEN THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION ALCOHOL CHANGE U-K LAUNCHED DRY JANUARY AS A PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGN.
THEIR AIM WAS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REEVALUATE THEIR DRINKING HABITS – ESPECIALLY RIGHT AFTER THE HOLIDAY SEASON – AND HIGHLIGHT POTENTIAL BENEFITS LIKE BETTER SLEEP… WEIGHT MANAGEMENT… AND IMPROVED MENTAL CLARITY. SINCE THEN… THE CAMPAIGN HAS SPREAD GLOBALLY.
“These are people who may want to use January to put a mirror up to their own relationship with alcohol, just to reflect.”
“We’re not anti alcohol. We want everyone to have their own journey.”
[Kennedy]
DOCTOR MICHAEL CALDWELL IS THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OF DRY JANUARY U-S-A AND ALSO A professor in public health at Meharry School of Global Health AND Meharry Medical College.
RECENTLY – DRY JANUARY U-S-A SIGNED A LICENSING AGREEMENT WITH ALCOHOL CHANGE U-K TO MANAGE THE DRY JANUARY TRADEMARK HERE STATESIDE.
THEY’RE PUSHING TO MAKE IT A WIDELY RECOGNIZED MOVEMENT… AND IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING!
JANUARY 7-TH IS NOW DESIGNATED AS The inaugural Dry January U-S-A Day.. COMPLETE WITH YELLOW ILLUMINATIONS ACROSS PARTICIPATING CITIES LIKE CHICAGO AND NASHVILLE.
WHILE IT’S A WAY TO TAKE A BREAK FROM ALCOHOL… DR CALDWELL WARNS THAT IF YOU DRINK FIVE OR MORE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES A DAY… YOU MAY NEED PROFESSIONAL HELP BEFORE DIVING INTO DRY JANUARY.
A RECENT POLL FROM THE BEER INSTITUTE AND MORNING CONSULT FOUND THAT 58-PERCENT OF AMERICANS ARE REACHING FOR LOW OR NO ALCOHOL BEER OPTIONS TO HELP THEM COAST THROUGH THE MONTH.
“there are these technological advances for adult non alcoholic beverages”
“It offers people choices to be able to have that feel an experience of a beer, wine or cocktail without them really missing that there’s no alcohol in it.”
[Kennedy]
IN FACT – THE NON-ALCHOLIC WINE TREND *IS GROWING. ONE COMPANY – VINTENSE – SAYS ALCOHOL FREE WINE RETAINS MANY PROPERTIES OF GRAPE JUICE. .. INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL. THEIR BEVERAGES SPECIFICALLY CONTAIN anthocyanins – WHICH CAN improve energy AND immunity WHILE PROTECTING against cardiovascular disease and SOME cancerS.
ACCORDING TO A GALLUP POLL – 45-PERCENT OF AMERICANS THINK HAVING ONE OR TWO DRINKS A DAY IS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH… YET 58-PERCENT CONSUME ALCOHOL.
AND WHILE MANY KNOW EXCESSIVE DRINKING CAN HARM YOUR LIVER… EXPERTS SAY ALCOHOL-RELATED HEALTH RISKS DON’T STOP THERE.
“They think, oh, maybe liver cancer. Well, yes, but all the digestive cancers in your mouth, your esophagus, colon cancer, breast cancer, many women really don’t realize that there’s a strong link between any alcohol use and their risk of breast cancer.”
[Kennedy]
SO IF IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING YOU’D BE INTERESTED IN… EXPERTS SAY PLANNING AHEAD FOR SOCIAL GATHERINGS AND USING ACCOUNTABILITY TOOLS CAN HELP.
ALCOHOL CHANGE U-K HAS A “TRY DRY” APP THAT HELPS TRACK YOUR TIME OFF DRINKING.
“BUT YOU LOOK BETTER. YOU DON’T SWEAT ANYMORE WHILE YOU EAT, AND LOOK! YOU’VE SAVED OVER $100.”
“DOH!”
[Kennedy]
BUT MAYBE UNLIKE HOMER – TAKE SOME TIME AFTER THE MONTH ENDS TO REFLECT ON YOUR DRY JANUARY JOURNEY – AND DECIDE IF CUTTING BACK BEYOND JANUARY IS RIGHT FOR YOU.
IM KF WITH SAN.
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