Happy New Year! Did you, like many, celebrate the arrival of 2024 a bit too much?

A new year is a time for resolutions, and one of the most popular is Dry January.

The idea behind Dry January is to go the entire 31 days of January without a sip of beer, wine or spirits. It’s a great way to start the new year in a healthier place, at least in one’s relationship to alcohol.

Making the Dry January challenge could be the perfect start to 2024, and we’ve got some tips on how to stick to your month-long booze break.

Sleep better, save money and lose weight

The British charity Alcohol Change UK started Dry January in 2012 to “take 31 days off drinking to give you amazing, obvious benefits like more energy, a chance to save some money, improved concentration, boosted mood and so much more. It does you well on the inside too. In fact, research shows that a month off alcohol leads to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes risk, as well as lower cancer-related proteins in the blood.”

Research from the University of Sussex shows that people who took taking part in Dry January regained control of their drinking, had more energy, better skin and lost weight. They also reported drinking less months later.

In 2013, Dry January started with 4,000 people in the United Kingdom taking on the challenge. Since then, it’s become a phenomenon, with up to a million people or more worldwide downloading the official Dry January app and posting their progress on social media.

Out of Control?

We may need Dry January more than ever. Alcohol-related problems—which result from drinking too much, too fast, or too often—are big public health issues.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between 2015 and 2019, excessive alcohol use led to more than 140,000 deaths annually. During the same period, excessive drinking was responsible for 1 in 5 deaths among adults aged 20-49 years.

Research also showed that since the Covid-19 pandemic, rates of drinking—especially among women—rose.

Some studies have shown that light to moderate alcohol use may offer some health benefits, but heavy drinking — including binge drinking — has none.

Excessive drinking can lead to many short-term risks, including injuries—motor vehicle crashes, drownings, falls and burns—and long-term consequences, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and liver disease.

Alcohol use is associated with cancers of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon and rectum. Excessive drinking is also linked to learning and memory problems, dementia, depression, and social problems like unemployment and domestic violence.

Bottom line

Alcohol is enjoyed by millions, but it is also toxic. If you feel like your drinking may be getting out of control, talk to your medical provider, or seek out resources online. If you have been drinking excessively and stop, you might notice symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and will need to seek medical help.

But if you are a light to moderate drinker thinking about a short-term change to your drinking habits, why not start now with a Dry January resolution?

Tips for Success

Set yourself up for success during Dry January with these tips: