Dry January 2025: The Ultimate Guide

What Is Dry January?

The New Year is often approached with new goals and mindsets, many of which focus on health, including reducing alcohol consumption. The Dry January campaign is one approach to help those who are sober curious or simply interested in cutting back in the new year.

Dry January is a month-long journey to stop drinking. It initially started as a campaign in the UK in 2013 under the organization Alcohol Change UK and quickly caught on worldwide as a growing trend. Since this campaign launched, nearly a quarter of all Americans have participated in Dry January each year.

The World Health Organization warns that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for health, and therefore, abstaining from alcohol is the best way to prevent alcohol-related diseases that can affect your heart, kidneys, brain, and liver. Alcohol consumption is a leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., according to a 2022 study published in JAMA Network Open, and it seems that alcohol consumption in the United States is not stopping or slowing down anytime soon.

According to a 2023 Gallup survey:

• 62% of Americans consume alcohol
• 69% of these adults say they last had a drink within the past week. This includes 32% whose most recent drink was in the last 24 hours.
• 20% of adults in this survey say they drink more than they should
• Beer and liquor sales have increased and especially are on the rise during the holiday season in December.
• Younger generations drink less, and older generations continue to drink more.

Why Should You Try Dry January?

If you are considering participating in Dry January, you can start by evaluating your drinking patterns and habits. You may ask yourself, “Can I go a week or month without any alcohol?” If your answer is no or if feelings of defensiveness or fear arise, you may want to explore what it is that’s driving your need for alcohol.

You should try Dry January to experience how your body and mind feel without alcohol for 31 days. People who stop drinking report feeling better overall and have improved sleep, mental clarity, energy, and thoughts. Maybe you are trying to lose weight, and quitting alcohol for 31 days helps you cut out those “empty calories” that are not nourishing to your body.

You should consider trying Dry January for the following reasons:

• If you are using alcohol as a coping mechanism or stress reliever
• Alcohol is affecting your daily life
• You are a daily drinker
• You believe you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol
• You want to cut down on alcohol
• You consumed too much alcohol during the holidays and want to give your body a break
• You want to save money
• You want to lose weight
• Your loved ones have mentioned you drink too much

The Benefits of Giving Up Alcohol for a Month

Quitting alcohol for one month may seem like a fad at first, but the benefits of not drinking can be seen and felt before the 31 days are up and can contribute to longer periods of sobriety or cutting down on alcohol long-term.

Even if you do not have a poor relationship with alcohol or alcohol addiction, the benefits you can see from quitting or even cutting down on alcohol may be enough to change your relationship and stop drinking altogether.

The physical health benefits of Dry January include:

• Weight loss
• Improved sleep
• Increased physical activity due to more energy
• Reduced blood sugar
• Improved skin
• Improved sexual function and satisfaction
• Better eating habits because you are no longer consuming “empty calories” in alcohol
• Decrease in blood pressure
• Decreased risk of diabetes
• Decrease in growth factors contributing to cancer
• Reduced headaches
• Reduced acid reflux and heartburn

The mental health benefits of Dry January include:

• Improved concentration
• Improved memory
• Better decision making
• Decreased anxiety
• Decreased stress
• Improved self-awareness around alcohol
• Uncover underlying mental health disorders

Warning About Dry January for Heavy Alcohol Drinkers

If you are a heavy drinker and have a history of alcohol withdrawal, then quitting alcohol cold turkey can be dangerous, as alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous and even deadly. For this reason, alcohol treatment recovery centers can help slowly wean you off alcohol by giving you medications such as benzodiazepines to minimize and eliminate any dangerous alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

If you have signs and symptoms of a severe alcohol disorder or have a history of alcohol withdrawal, Dry January may not be the best solution for you. Instead, it may be wise to seek professional help at an alcohol rehab center where you can have a team of professionals guide you through a safe recovery journey.

Dry January Statistics

Dry January increased in popularity in 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic, when alcohol consumption and sales increased exponentially. In 2023, 16% of Americans successfully completed the month-long challenge. In 2024, that percentage rose, with 25% of Americans avoiding alcohol completely for Dry January.

Studies show that those who participated in Dry January plan to continue to abstain from alcohol or cut down on their drinking because they enjoyed the many benefits they experienced.

Nonalcoholic Alternatives

In general, liquor and beer sales tend to drop in January. Still, it is hard to say that this is due to Dry January or because the holiday season is over. People tend to drink less compared to November and December when alcohol sales are high due to holiday celebrations.

Throughout modern history, alcohol sales have been low in January. Still, sales of nonalcoholic beverages such as sparkling water, kombucha, zero-proof spirits, alcohol-free beer, alcohol-free canned cocktails, and CBD drinks have been high.

Many retail stores, restaurants, bars, and liquor stores have tapped into the nonalcoholic beverage market. This is becoming a booming market, especially during January when alcohol sales are historically low, and people are trying to “dry out” from the holidays. The increase in sales of alcohol-free beverages correlates with the Dry January trends as the majority of people who participate in this campaign fill their alcohol void with alternative alcohol-free drinks.

What Are The Origins of Dry January?

Although Dry January first started as a campaign to encourage people to become healthier by cutting down on their alcohol consumption, in actuality, the history of Dry January dates back to 1942 when the Finnish government decided to reduce their alcohol consumption for one month to save more on resources during the war against the Soviet Union.

Although this month of no drinking was not known as “Dry January,” this was the first documented event in history in which many people reduced their alcohol consumption by one month. The modern iteration of this challenge was coined “Dry January” by Alcohol Change UK/Alcohol Research UK in 2013 as a health campaign.

Who Partakes in Dry January?

Dry January participants are primarily the younger generation. Statistics show:

• In 2024, 35% of Gen Z aged 21-24 completed Dry January, more than double the percentage of Americans 55+ (14%).
• Women are more likely to participate than men, and parents are more likely to participate than non-parents.
• Black Americans are the most receptive to Dry January, as approximately 70% are ‘somewhat’ to ‘very likely’ to participate, compared to around 60% of Hispanic Americans and 45% of White Americans.

The two primary reasons individuals partake in Dry January are the health benefits and saving money. Social media has been a huge driving force behind this campaign.

Tips For a Successful Dry January

Quitting alcohol may be more challenging than you expected, so it is important to have some help along the way.

Set realistic goals: Although the main goal is to quit alcohol completely, some people choose to reduce their alcohol consumption by only having one drink on the weekends or not keeping alcohol in the house. Even if you plan to abstain from alcohol completely, it is important to be kind to yourself if you slip up once or twice. This is why some people call this trend “drier January” with no weekday drinking; other people consider it “damp January,” a little drier than December. The goal is to consciously drink less even if you don’t give up alcohol altogether.

Gather a community: Participate in this challenge with friends, family, or co-workers. Join an online community of people who are taking on this challenge or join sober support groups. Surround yourself with people who support, encourage, and hold you accountable.

Find a palatable substitute drink: Whether it is sparkling water, mocktails, or kombucha, you will most likely crave a drink substitute, especially in social situations where you want to have a drink in your hand. Many bars and restaurants can provide nonalcoholic drinks such as mocktails or alcohol-free beers.

Avoid temptations: Don’t keep alcohol in your home, tell your friends you are participating in Dry January, bring a nonalcoholic beverage substitute to parties, and avoid situations that may seem triggering.

Practice saying “no”: Dry January is a great excuse not to drink. Because it is such a popular trend, many people will not question your reasons or motives, so all you have to say is, “No thanks; I am participating in Dry January.” You may be surprised by how many people take a positive interest in this.

Document it: Whether you take videos, photos, or journal, you may be surprised about your journey as you look back on it. Document how you feel each day. This can also help you identify your patterns and triggers.

Utilize apps, books, and podcasts: Many great apps, books, and podcasts can help encourage you and track your no-drinking month

Apps:

• Try Dry®: The Dry January App. Try Dry® is the official app of the Dry January challenge, which was created by the charity Alcohol Change UK.
• I am Sober: An app that helps you track sober days, build healthy habits, and analyze why you drink. It also connects you with a community of people focused on recovery
• Reframe: An evidence-backed program designed to reframe your drinking habits and reduce your alcohol consumption.

Podcasts:

• Sober Friends
• Sober Curious, Mindful & Alcohol-Free Drinkers: Low No Drinker
• The Naked Mind Podcast
• How I Quit Alcohol
• That Sober Guy Podcast

Books:

• The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober
• This Naked Mind
• The Dry Challenge
• Alcohol Explained
• Sober Curious
• Quit Like A Woman
• The Sober Diaries

What To Do if You Can’t Stop Drinking

If you have a hard time cutting back or cannot stop drinking, this is most likely a sign that you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and need professional help.

Sometimes, you are unable to stop drinking because unresolved triggers may surface, such as anxiety, depression, or past trauma that you inadvertently used alcohol to cover up. Or you may not be able to stop drinking because you are experiencing uncomfortable alcohol withdrawal symptoms, or maybe the cravings and urges are too strong.

There are many different reasons why a person is unable to cut down or stop drinking, and regardless of the reason, this is a sign that seeking professional help from an alcohol addiction treatment center could be the right step for a healthy future. Addiction professionals can guide you through a personalized treatment plan that can help you detox in a safe setting with minimal withdrawal side effects. After detox, an alcohol treatment program can help you gain an understanding and insight into why you use alcohol and uncover any underlying triggers that may be motivating factors to drink. You can also learn healthy coping skills to overcome these triggers, urges, and cravings and gain support from a community of like-minded individuals.

If you are living with an alcohol addiction, help is available. To get started on your journey to an alcohol-free life, contact a treatment provider contact today to learn more about the treatment options available to you.