'Dry January': 1 month of no alcohol makes real difference to health, study confirms

• In 2013, Alcohol Change UK started the “Dry January” campaign, where people could commit to abstaining from drinking alcohol for the entire month.
• In January 2025, about 200,000 people worldwide signed up to participate in Dry January.
• A new study reports that abstaining from alcohol for just one month can offer meaningful physical and psychological improvements.

In 2013, Alcohol Change UK started the “Dry January” campaign, where people could commit to abstaining from drinking alcohol for the entire month.

In January 2025, Alcohol Change UK reported that about 200,000 people globally signed up to participate in their Dry January challenge.

Past studies show that taking part in Dry January may offer some positive health benefits. For example, research presented in January 2019 found that those who followed Dry January had higher energy levels and a healthier body weight.

Now, a new study recently published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism reports that abstaining from alcohol for just one month can offer meaningful physical and psychological improvements, including better sleep, weight loss, and improved mood.