Dry January benefits could last until August, new study claims

The Morning Advertiser ​reported yesterday about experts’ claims who say those taking part in Dry January ​could actually be doing their health more harm than good.

A number of experts, including a leading liver expert, claim that Dry January ​is bad for you because it encourages binge-drinking for the rest of the year.

But new research led by the University of Sussex claims that those taking part in the annual tradition could see a number of benefits up to eight months later, with consumers still drinking less.

The results revealed that in the months that followed, on average, participants’ drinking days fell from 4.3 to 3.3 per week, the units they consumed per day dropped from 8.6 to 7.1 and the frequency of them being intoxicated went down from 3.4 times per month to 2.1.

Dr Richard de Visser, a reader in psychology at the university, conducted the research by analysing the drinking habits of 800 people, all of whom took part in Dry January ​in 2018, via self-completed surveys.

He explained that there “immediate benefits” to taking part in Dry January ​and added that the results speak for themselves.

“The simple act of taking a month off alcohol helps people drink less in the long term: by August people are reporting one extra dry day per week,” said de Visser.

“There are also considerable immediate benefits: nine in 10 people save money, seven in 10 sleep better and three in five lose weight.”

Of those who took part in the study, 67% say they had more energy, 58% lost weight and 57% had better concentration levels.

Commenting on the results, Dr Richard Piper, CEO of Alcohol Change UK, say the results came as no surprise.

“We hear every day from people who took charge of their drinking using Dry January​, and who feel healthier and happier as a result,” he added.