What is Dry January?

The whole month of January has recently been dedicated to a drive to go alcohol free - or maybe to drink a little less. Starting the year on a healthier note is the perfect way to make a positive change in your life, especially if the festive season has been a little heavy on the mulled wine. If you’re looking to take a break from alcohol, it’s a little easier to do it when others are also going sober, so it’s a great opportunity to do something difficult knowing that you have support from friends and family who are trying the same thing.

Know the Benefits

Taking a break from drinking has a huge amount of health benefits - and even after just a month you’re likely to see evidence of them. Alcohol is an immunosuppressant, so if you want to start your year without sniffles and sneezes, cutting alcohol will boost your body’s immune system. Alcohol is also a diuretic, leaving you dehydrated, which can lead to dry and inflamed skin - and it does nasty things to your hormones too, so you can look forward to fewer breakouts if you put the booze to the side for a month.

You’re likely to see benefits in your wallet and waistband too, taking a sober January to skip expensive alcohol prices and the excessive calories associated with every glass. You’ll also sleep better, which will boost your mood and help you focus more during the day.

After four weeks with fewer units - or none at all - you should see a big improvement in your mood, with other small benefits peeking through in various aspects of your life.

How Can Your Local Pharmacy Help?

Public Health England is in support of the Dry January campaign, supporting people across the country to change their relationship with alcohol. It’s a low-cost, high-impact public health campaign, and as a result you’re likely to find your community pharmacies getting stuck in:

“Dry January is based on sound behavioural principles and our previous evaluation of the campaign shows that for some people it can help them re-set their drinking patterns for weeks or even months after completing the challenge.”

Your local pharmacy will be able to provide you with free resources to help you get involved with Dry January in your community. Your pharmacist will be able to tell you more about the benefits of giving up alcohol, and offer some advice on how to stick to your goals when the going gets tough. There’s a Dry January app that can help you stay motivated, but often it helps to pop into your local chemist and ask for support - your pharmacy team will know which services are available in your area, and can direct you towards the resources that will be most helpful for you.

-

If you’re ready to empower yourself with the choice to cut back or cut out alcohol, your local pharmacy team will be happy to help - so pop in for a conversation and they’ll point you in the right direction.