It’s Dry January! That’s why you should cut the alcohol for four weeks and go dry.
What, you need more? Oh ok, here are some other reasons to cut out alcohol for the month of January then. Quick list first, then we’ll look at things in a little bit more detail. Dry January reasons:
- Health
- Money
- Social inclusivity
Now lets dive in together!
1. Dry January and Health
Dry January and Health? I think most people are aware that alcohol isn’t particularly great for the body, however much you may enjoy it. What you may not realise, is that alcohol is actually poisonous to humans and not just in large quantities. Drink too much in a short time, and you might develop Acute Alcohol Poisoning which can cause severe health problems.
this Dry January
It sounds a little bit like a magical silver bullet, but cutting the alcohol will help you sleep better, think clearer, improve your brain health, have more energy, improve your immune health, reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, liver disease and digestive problems… And this isn’t even a comprehensive list!
With such a big list of positives, I think health benefits are a GREAT reason to give up alcohol for Dry January to see how you find it. But if you need more reasons, what about…
2. Dry January and Money
Do you remember how much a pint of beer or lager costs? How about a bottle of whiskey or vodka? The average price of a pint of lager in the UK in February 1987 was 92 pence, but has rocketed to 420 pence per litre. That’s roughly 4.3 times more, while average wages are only 2.6 times higher. In real terms, that means an average pint of lager now costs nearly 75% more than it used to! Remember, this is in real terms – the average cost increase in raw numbers is 3.3 times more expensive now! Dry January is looking pretty good for the wallet now, huh?
| Alcohol | % Cost increase |
| Lager (per pint) | 75 % |
| Bitter (per pint) | 69 % |
| Whiskey (per 25 ml) | 85 % |
With bills rising all the time, particularly in the cold winter weather, is the cost really worth it? Imagine it’s the year 2000, and you’re celebrating Y2K – 5 pints of lager and 5 single shots of whiskey will cost you £17.10. That same set of drinks at the end of 2022 to forget what has been a difficult year will cost £37.25. If this sounds more like a regular Friday night, you’re looking at an increase in cost of over £1,000 per year. If it’s Friday and Saturday, or you drink more than this, then the costs will be flying up. That’s a lot of money.
Maybe you’re making a lot of money though, so finances aren’t relevant to your Dry January decision. But maybe…
3. Dry January and Social Skills
Social inhibition is a big struggle for many people, feeling too nervous or shy to say what’s on your mind. However, alcohol doesn’t work in the way that is commonly thought – it doesn’t “reveal your true self”, it limits the ability reason. So for Dry January, don’t get drunk so you can quit your job, or so you can tell someone you like them. DEFINITELY don’t be driving after a drink, any quantity of drink. You might just end up saying or doing something you later have regrets about.
With alcohol, it’s so easy to make a mistake that could be costly or quickly spiral out of control. So if you avoid the alcohol, you’re less likely to be saying things to family, friends or colleagues that you regret and for anything that does happen, you’ll be better able to deal with whatever is happening.
Help with alcohol is available:
If you, or anyone you know needs support for struggles with alcohol consumption there is no reason not to get help. There’s an expanded list of support organisations on the “Places to get support” page:
Alcoholics Anonymous UK: 0800 9177 650
https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/Contact
Alcoholics Anonymous GLOBAL:
https://www.aa.org/find-aa