Back in December we estimated that 6.5 million people would be taking part in Dry January – then on January 4 the third national lockdown was announced, and almost immediately we began to see people saying that Dry January was ‘cancelled’.
Yet what we saw, in fact, was a further surge in people downloading the official app, Try Dry.
Downloads this year have been a huge 35% higher than last.
Research has shown that seven in 10 people who do Dry January with our support are still drinking less six months later. So whether you used Dry January to bust lockdown drinking habits, kick-start cutting down, or test out going alcohol-free longer-term, February 1 isn’t the end – it’s the start of healthier, happier drinking habits year-round.
The Alcohol Change UK website offers information and advice for managing your drinking all year round.
Dr RICHARD PIPER
CE of Alcohol Change UK, the charity behind Dry January
Swinton Street, London
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