Dry January

Abstaining from alcohol during the first month of the year - the so-called Dry January - continues to become more popular. So much so, the hospitality industry has started to adapt, reducing staffing levels and hours for the month.

The opposite is true at gyms, where New Year's fitness resolutions lead to sold-out group fitness classes until motivation begins to falter. Statistically, that tends to happen on or around January 19.

15% of Americans planned to forego alcohol during January 2023, according to Morning Consult. This is down from 19% in 2022.

However, the 2022 figure is likely inflated by the combination of (a) added motivation from two years of pandemic-induced weight gain and (b) fewer reasons to drink socially given the then-spreading Omicron variant.

Moreover, the trend is not alcohol's friend. 62% of millennials reported that they were at least occasional alcohol drinkers as of December 2022, down from 69% a year earlier. Non-drinkers cannot forego alcohol during January, as they do not imbibe in the first place, and therefore do not count towards the abstinence percentage above.

What Are The Benefits?

Foregoing alcohol for a month should lead to:

1. Improved sleep patterns. Within a week, non-drinkers experience more Random Eye Movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is believed to have several health benefits

2. Weight loss, by foregoing the calories in alcoholic drinks

3. Lower blood pressure

4. Healthier livers. Alcohol consumption leads to fat accumulation in the liver, which can be (at least partially) reversed through abstinence

5. A potentially healthier relationship with alcohol, from a mental health standpoint. One study showed consumption of alcohol at harmful levels dropped by 50% 6-8 months after completion of Dry January

6. More money in your bank account