I’m referring to ‘Dry January’ and the annual effort to persuade people to abstain from drinking for the month. It is an event that seems to get bigger every year, and I congratulate anyone raising money for charity.
But when asking people to abstain from drinking, I think it’s important to look at the whole picture. Whilst talking about the issue on the radio in recent days, I have been accompanied by the voices of many concerned publicans, saying that the Dry January campaign can hit trade.
January is certainly a quiet time of year for pubs and any fall in takings is particularly unwelcome. There is also just a hint that Dry January gives too much of a nod towards a culture of fasting and bingeing, when it comes to our drinking culture. Instead, we should be encouraging people to enjoy a sensible drink in the pub, all year round.
There is plenty of evidence that moderate drinking can be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle. Moderate levels of consumption have been shown to have a protective effect on a number of health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and degenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and dementia.
When it come to our own leading product, beer, we have a particularly good story to tell. Our national drink is a great way to enjoy a drink sensibly. And of course, beer is still the mainstay of the pub, accounting for around 70% of alcoholic drinks sales. It is low in calories, has no fat, no cholesterol, and typically contains a variety of vitamins and minerals.
For those that do want to cut back on total alcohol consumption, As well as soft drinks, there has been real innovation in the low strength and no strength categories of beer in recent years. There’s the added benefit that beer is lower in calories. Half a pint of a 4% ABV lager typically contains just 96 calories, less than the same amount of milk or orange juice. If you are trying one of the increasing range of beers that comes in at 2.8% ABV, a half a pint will contain just 67 calories.
Of course, we still need to champion the pub as a place to eat out and to be part of your local community. The #TryJanuary campaign is really encouraging pubs to promote to customers new dishes and drinks. Many pubs still face challenging trading conditions, and it can be a case of ‘use it or lose it’.
We shouldn’t be shy about encouraging people to the pub in Dry January, as we can all enjoy a drink in the New Year - and throughout the year.
Brigid Simmonds is chief executive of the BBPA