And the fear of failure isn't a valid excuse either, because even people who aren't able to stick to the abstinence contract for a full month still benefit from the experience. Here's why.
Launched in 2012 in the United Kingdom by the charity Alcohol Concern, the Dry January campaign had three goals: to foster a new relationship with alcohol, to encourage those who are questioning their alcohol consumption, and, finally, to inspire a change in behavior after a positive and fun alcohol-free month.
It has enjoyed growing success across the Channel, attracting more than two million participants three years after its launch in 2015.
Let’s be clear: this challenge is not a “detox” program, nor is it intended for people with alcohol dependence. On the contrary, it’s intended for those who, without realizing the effects this can have on their health, drink “a little too much” or “a little too often.” In other words, those who exceed the thresholds recommended by Santé publique France.
Dry January gives doctors an opportunity to discuss alcohol with their patients—a topic that can sometimes be difficult to broach in a non-confrontational way. In particular, it provides an opportunity to assess their alcohol consumption with them and help them reduce it. This goal is all the more important given that alcohol is linked to more than 60 medical conditions, including cancer, diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure.
It has long been known that temporarily abstaining from alcohol can have beneficial effects on physiology and help improve well-being. However, the factors influencing the success or failure of adhering to such a period of abstinence remained poorly understood, as did the way in which any success might affect subsequent alcohol consumption.
To better understand them, health psychologist Richard de Visser and his colleagues at the University of Sussex conducted two studies, in 2015 and 2019.
In 2015, Richard de Visser and his colleagues selected 1,687 people registered on the DryJanuary.org.uk website and included them in a study scheduled to last 6 months. They asked them to complete a questionnaire (AUDIT) to determine which participants planned to participate in Dry January (abstaining from alcohol for one month), whether they planned to do so alone or with others, and so on.
They were also asked to rate, using a scale (the Likert scale), their ability to refuse alcohol, taking into account three factors: social pressure (“when my friends are drinking”), emotional relief (“when I feel anxious”), the context of a specific occasion (“when I’m watching TV”).
After one month, participants completed the self-efficacy scale for refusing alcohol again, and again after six months. At that time, participants were also asked to complete the AUDIT questionnaire once more.
In total, of the 1,684 people (479 men and 1,205 women) included in the study, 857 (249 men and 608 women) answered all the questions, representing 64.1% of the participants. Based on these results, the researchers were able to determine who had participated in DryJanuary and for how long (expressed in days/weeks/months).
The results show that 549 people took on—and completed—the DryJanuary_ challenge (no alcohol for a month), representing 64% of the sample. Among these participants, the researchers observed several things:
an increase in self-efficacy regarding refusing to drink (across all three domains),
a decrease in the frequency of weekly alcohol consumption (1 fewer “alcohol-free” day per week),
a decrease in the frequency of episodes of drunkenness during the previous month (halved),
a decrease in the average number of units of alcohol consumed per day (from 3.8 to 3.1).
But what happened to the people who weren’t able to complete the Dry Januarychallenge? In other words, what about those who signed up but didn’t abstain from drinking alcohol for a month?
Contrary to what one might think, the exercise appears to have yielded benefits nonetheless. In fact, for the 308 participants who were unable to complete the challenge (36% of the sample), the following was nevertheless observed:
an increase in self-efficacy regarding refusing to drink (in two areas: “social pressure” and “emotional relief”),
a decrease in the frequency of weekly alcohol consumption (fewer than 1 fewer “alcohol-free” days per week),
a decrease in the frequency of episodes of drunkenness during the previous month (from 3.8 to 2.1),
a decrease in the average number of units of alcohol consumed per day (from 4.2 to 3.7).
Furthermore, a survey of everyone who participated in DryJanuary revealed that 88% saved money, 82% think more carefully about their alcohol consumption, 80% feel they have better control over their drinking, 76% have a better understanding of when and why they drink, 71% have realized they don’t need a drink to have fun, 71% sleep better, 70% have improved their overall health, 67% have more energy, 58% have lost weight, 57% have improved their concentration, and 54% have noticed an improvement in their skin.
It should be noted, however, that these studies had one limitation: the 2015 study lacked a control group, as it included only individuals registered on the DryJanuary website. To address this, the authors conducted a new prospective online study using questionnaires in January, February, and August 2019.
In this new study, researchers compared the situation of 1,192 Dry January participants with that of 1,549 adults who drink alcohol but did not participate in Dry January. The latter group was recruited using the quota method (matched by gender, age, and geographic region).
Their physical well-being was assessed, as was their psychological well-being. The researchers again assessed the participants’ self-efficacy regarding refusing to drink and asked them to complete a questionnaire designed to assess their alcohol consumption.
People who signed up for Dry January, as well as those who tried to abstain from drinking without signing up, were grouped together under the label “tried Dry January.” The second group consisted of those who did not sign up for Dry January and did not try to abstain from drinking.
First finding: The 1,667 people in the “tried Dry January” group (60.8% of participants) had different profiles from the 1,074 people in the “did not try Dry January” group. They were, in fact, younger (45.4 years vs. 49.8 years), had a higher socioeconomic status, and were more likely to be female (75.3% women vs. 50.9%). Furthermore, at the time of their inclusion in the study, these participants reported better physical well-being and were more concerned about the effects of alcohol on their health and about controlling their consumption.
In contrast, their psychological well-being was lower than that of the members of the second group, and a greater number of them were classified as “at-risk” drinkers (higher AUDIT-C score, 8.5 vs. 5.5). Among these participants, 62.4% managed to abstain from drinking for 1 month. Their physical and psychological well-being improved, as did their self-efficacy regarding abstinence.
Six months later, these three factors remained stable and high. As a result, their alcohol consumption decreased. In addition, a greater number of these individuals engaged in physical activity (48.7% vs. 23.8%) and ate healthier (52.3% vs. 28.2%).
Our country remains one of the world's top alcohol-consuming nations, ranking 6thamong the 34 OECD countries.
Annual consumption of pure alcohol per capita among people aged 15 and older is 11.7 liters, and nearly a quarter of those aged 18–75 (23.6%) exceeded the recommended consumption limits in 2017. Although the 2021 figures turned out to be slightly better, the proportion of 18- to 75-year-olds affected was still 22%.
This is no small matter, since it is estimated that in France, each year, no fewer than 41,000 deaths (30,000 men and 11,000 women) may be directly attributable to alcohol.
In a study published in 2020, researchers found that alcohol use disorders were associated with various factors, such as the normalization of alcohol (especially wine) as a means of socializing, the social function of alcohol, difficulties in accessing care, the absence of a primary care physician in the process of accessing care, co-addictions, and issues related to family support.
It’s easy to see how Dry January—which is part of an effort to “denormalize” alcohol consumption (wine, in particular)—can help improve the situation. Furthermore, participating in this event with others—such as a spouse or friends—is also a potential benefit.
In 2019, French health authorities therefore decided to launch their own version of Dry January through the Interministerial Mission to Combat Drugs and Addictive Behaviors (MILDECA) and Santé publique France. Unfortunately, the health authorities’ initial effort appears to have fizzled out for several reasons.
To mark Dry January 2022, the League Against Cancer commissioned a survey from the BVA polling institute, which was conducted among a representative sample of 1,000 French people selected using the quota method.
The results revealed that 31% of French respondents exceeded the alcohol consumption limits recommended by Santé publique France (note that this figure was 23.6% in 2017 and 22% in 2021). Young people (ages 18–24) appear to be particularly at risk: 78% of them reported drinking alcohol, and 45% consumed more than the recommended limits.
The impact of the health crisis on behavior is clear: 17% of study participants reported drinking more since the start of the pandemic, a figure that rises to 30% among those with risky drinking habits and to 28% among young people aged 18 to 24.
The phrase “Défi de janvier,” the French translation of “Dry January,” seems apt, as it appears difficult for 29% of French people—and 59% of heavy drinkers—to abstain from alcohol for 30 days. Paradoxically, however, a large majority of those surveyed acknowledge the benefits of taking a one-month break from alcohol, whether in terms of their weight (89%), energy levels (88%), concentration (85%), finances (84%), or sleep (82%).
Unfortunately, the government does not yet seem ready to build on these findings to get “Dry January” off the ground in France.
On December 14, 2023, the daily newspaper *Le Parisien* published a letter addressed to Aurélien Rousseau, who was Minister of Health at the time, from 48 addiction specialists. These specialists formally asked the government to support Dry January. According to them, the benefits of this event “have been proven in countries that have been running similar campaigns for many years.”
This letter, written by the National University College of Addiction Treatment Educators (CUNEA), also emphasized that “confidence in the government’s ability to pursue a coherent and resolute policy” against alcoholism “has been seriously undermined.”
The minister’s response was unequivocal. When asked on BFM-TV about Dry January, he said , “I’m going to try to take advantage of this collective movement to abstain from alcohol […] but personally, I’m always very skeptical or cautious when people say, ‘The government is launching a campaign to find out how to live for a month.’”
While it is clear that the 2024 edition of Dry January will not receive more support from the government than previous ones, this initiative has been praised by a group of members of the French Public Health Society. In an op-ed published in the daily newspaper Le Monde, this organization also called on the government to implement a coherent and determined policy to change the French public’s perception of alcohol.
According to an IFOP poll conducted in late 2022, one in three French people would be willing to take on the Dry January challenge. Are you one of them? If so, watch out for imitations like #DampJanuary (“wet January”).
Proposed by the wine and viticulture lobby, this is a “light” version of Dry January that simply suggests “reducing” alcohol consumption, thereby distorting the original goals of the Dry January campaign. Back in 2020, #SobrietyJanuary—which promoted a campaign focused on moderation rather than abstinence—had already introduced confusion into the messaging. Once again, it received support from the alcohol industry, which saw it as a way to promote its own narrative, divorced from scientific reality. Indeed, let’s remember this as we conclude: the harmful effects of alcohol begin with the very first drink!
The recommendations from Santé publique France should therefore be followed all year round, not just for one month…
The new edition of the #JanuaryChallenge is here, and two apps are available to support those who want to take a break from alcohol:
- the Try Dry app from #DryJanuaryFrance;
- the MyDéfiDeJanvier app, which offers a daily prompt to boost your motivation and increase your chances of achieving the goals you’ve set for yourself.
Finally, a research project titled “Janover” is being conducted by the Centre Hospitalier du Vinatier (Lyon), with support fromthe National Cancer Institute (INCA_16467). This study will help determine the profile of Dry January participants, identify the factors contributing to “success” in the challenge, and assess its impact on alcohol consumption and well-being.
