The festive season can often result in lots of indulgences, especially alcohol related. Why not take a break this month and participate in Dry January? Dry January is the UK’s one-month booze-free challenge where you can save money and feel great.
Did you know that?
- To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level, the Chief Medical Officers advise it is safest not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.
- 14 units of alcohol is the equivalent to 6 pints of 4% beer or 6 glasses (175ml) of 13% wine or 14 glasses (25ml) of 40% spirits.
- 40% of men in the UK regularly drink more than the recommended guidelines. (DrinkAware)
- Just over 53% of these male drinkers don’t believe their drinking could have an impact on their health. (DrinkAware)
- Alcohol is a casual factor in more than 60 medical conditions, including: mouth, throat, stomach, liver and breast cancers; high blood pressure, cirrhosis of the liver; and depression. (Alcohol Change UK)
- In 2017, nearly 7,700 people died in the UK from alcohol-specific causes where the death was wholly attributable. (ONS)
- In 2017/2018 in England, 75,787 people were in treatment at specialist alcohol misuse services. (Alcohol Change UK)
Reasons to give Dry January a chance
Dry January started in 2012 with 4,000 people. It’s come a long way since then, with over 100,000 signing up and 4 million taking part in 2018. It is run by the charity Alcohol Change UK and the only rule is no alcohol from when you wake up on New Year’s Day until February 1st.
Save money
The average person in Britain spends almost £50,000 on alcohol during their lifetime, which is a lot of money. Drinks are very pricey and giving them up for a month can really make a difference on your bank account. Why not transfer over the money you would have spent on drinks to your savings account so that you can properly see how much money you have saved.
Improve your health
Excessive drinking can lead to negative health effects including weight gain, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It can also impair your sleeping patterns, and increase the risk for breast cancer, heart disease, stroke and liver problems. Giving up alcohol for the month of January can help you improve your health, skin complexion and help you to lose weight. It will also allow your liver to recover, get rid of the excess fat and start repairing itself.
Good for your mental wellbeing
Alcohol is a depressant, which means it can bring your mood down. Ditching alcohol can help you to feel more clear-headed and sleep better. This can help people to feel more energetic and stay motivated to stick to resolutions. A month without drinking and more sleep can also improve productivity levels as people won’t be tending to hangovers or lying on the sofa all day recovering.
