NEW YORK (AP) — A raging pandemic, tumultuous presidential election and deadly Capitol insurrection have combined to make the annual tradition of Dry January more moist than air-tight for some.
Not Sarah Arvizo. She considers it her easiest yet.
As much as the 32-year-old Manhattanite would love to partake in a little “vinopeutics,” she said the abstinence period she's participated in for several years has been made smoother this time around by her at-home pandemic life and the closing of bars and restaurants.
“Longing for those days, for sure,” said the social drinker who lives alone. “But unless I want to freeze outside, that's largely off the table this year.”
Eight-year-old Dry January, which comes at the height of resolution season after the holidays, has brought on the desired benefits for many among the millions participating around the world. They're losing quarantine weight, experiencing more clarity and sleeping easier.
Others with lockdown time on their hands and round-the-clock access to TV news and the home liquor cabinet are struggling to meet the challenge. Some who have already cheated hoisted a glass on Inauguration Day, Dry January's surreal New Year's Eve.
Sue Cornick, 52, in Los Angeles wanted to experience Dry January after her consumption of alcohol rose from three or four days a week to five or six. But she knew pulling the plug wouldn't work before a celebratory Inauguration Day, so it's Dry February for her.
“Full disclosure, my Dry February will be more like almost dry. I'll definitely have a cheat day here and there. Just no daily habit,” she said.
Others are holding steadfast but said the horrid year that was and the chaotic events of January have made it far more difficult. The odds aren't in their favor. Studies over the years have shown that a small percentage of New Year's resolutions overall are actually achieved.
Peta Grafham, a 61-year-old retired IT specialist in Tryon, North Carolina, signed on to Dry January after watching her alcohol intake creep up during the pandemic and months of political and racial turmoil.
“I'm a social creature and isolating has been difficult. I found that I would open a bottle of wine and watch TV, usually CNN, and could knock back a bottle in less than two hours. Then I would move on to the Grand Marnier," said Grafham, who lives with her husband. “I announced to my friends and family that I was doing a Dry January, so my pride is what's keeping me sober.”
She hasn't had a drop since Dec. 31. Her spouse didn't join, but she said he's an efficient nurser of bourbon or vodka and has supported her effort.
“I seemed incapable of limiting myself to just one glass,” Grafham said.
According to a recent survey from the American Psychological Association, 78% of adults report the COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant source of stress, and 65% said the amount of uncertainty in the world is causing strain.
While addiction treatment experts note that a month of forced sobriety may not have a lasting impact and may lead to binge drinking in February, others believe the show of sobriety can't hurt.
Dry January began after a woman training for her first half-marathon, Emily Robinson in the U.K., decided to quit drinking for the month. She later went to work for an alcohol awareness organization that launched a national campaign. The event slowly went global.
Well before that, in 1942, Finland began a program called Raitis Tammikuu, meaning sober January, to assist the war effort against the Soviet Union, said Hilary Sheinbaum, who wrote a new book about Dry January, “The Dry Challenge." She said she wrote from personal experience.
“On Dec. 31, 2016, moments before the ball dropped, I made a Dry January bet with a friend,” Sheinbaum said. “In the end, I ended up going the full 31 days. My friend did not. He ended up buying me a very fancy meal, but I had the opportunity to see how alcohol was affecting my day-to-day life. With Dry January, I had clearer skin. I was sleeping better. I had so much more financial savings at the end of the month. This is my fifth Dry January.”
When she took on her first dry challenge, she was working regularly at booze-infused events as a red carpet reporter, and a food and beverage writer. She was also single and going on a lot of dates. Now in a two-year relationship, she and her live-in boyfriend do Dry January together.
“Having someone doing it with you is definitely encouraging,” Sheinbaum said. “For many Americans, we start off the year with a number of resolutions, whether that's saving money, losing weight, just being healthier in general. Dry January checks the boxes for those goals and many more.”
She and others note that the ritual isn't meant as a substitute for addiction treatment and recovery. Dr. Joseph DeSanto, an MD and addiction specialist for the recovery program BioCorRx, agreed but said Dry January may give those in trouble "something to rally around, especially if they're not in a 12-step group, and provide a sense of community.”
He added: “Any kind of harm reduction is advantageous. If someone is a heavy drinker, they could benefit greatly from switching to moderate to light drinking, even if they can’t stop altogether. I’ve never met an alcoholic that felt worse from drinking less or not drinking.”
MJ Gottlieb is co-founder and CEO of the 100,000-strong Loosid, a sober social network with both physical and virtual events and services around the country. He's in recovery himself and launched the company in part to show the world that sobriety doesn't mean the “end of fun.”
Since the pandemic, he said Loosid has seen a spike in people posting on its app, messaging its confidential hotlines and accessing its support groups as the pandemic brought on isolation and more drinking at home.
That's where Dry January plays a role.
“A lot of people who did not have problems previous to the pandemic and were drinking a glass of wine a night are now drinking a couple of bottles a night," Gottlieb said. "They're wondering what's going on. They're wondering, how did I get here?”
5 things to know about Dry January
1. Some history
The U.K.-based group Alcohol Concern, now named Alcohol Change UK, started the trending Dry January challenge in 2013. In its first year, 4,000 people took part, according to the group. The group projects that 10% of those who drink in the U.K. will take part in the challenge this month and abstain from alcohol.
“Strong evidence tells us that signing up for Dry January helps people — even heavy drinkers — to drink more healthily all year round,” Alcohol Change UK CEO Richard Piper said in a statement. But experts say the challenge might not be for everyone, especially heavy drinkers, and can even backfire for more moderate drinkers.
2. Who should be wary?
“How helpful Dry January is may vary from person to person,” said Mark Zissman, a psychologist and clinical director of Lake County services at Gateway Foundation treatment centers. Zissman points to studies that show taking a month off from drinking can help in various ways, improving sleep and resulting in weight loss.
But he cautioned those who are heavy drinkers. And more mild or moderate drinkers might find success in a month off from alcohol, but then usher in February with even heavier alcohol use, Zissman said. “Largely, the risks are how much is somebody drinking prior to actually participating in Dry January,” he said. “Alcohol is one of two substances where people can actually die from going through withdrawal. People forget that.”
3. Dry January isn't treatment
Zissman recommends that heavy drinkers consult professionals before taking part in a Dry January challenge.
And to think about why they might want to quit drinking for a month: Is there an addiction? If so, Zissman says treatment can help and should go beyond a January challenge. “For some people, it could be really normative and really healthy,” he said. “At the same time, it might also be indicative of a larger alcohol-use problem.”
Zissman also suggests using the acronym CAGE as a self-assessment tool for alcohol-use disorder. C stands for cut-down attempts in the past. A stands for annoyed: Do you feel annoyed by others commenting on your drinking? G is for guilt felt after drinking. And E is eye-opener: Do you need a drink in the morning or notice other physical dependence?
4. Who benefits?
Zissman said that for many, Dry January can be a healthy endeavor. “Maybe they find they rely on (alcohol) a little bit too much, but they don’t necessarily have a problem,” he said.
Zissman said more research is needed, but there’s some that shows the Dry January challenge can lead to drinking less for several months afterward. Alcohol Change UK cites research that shows 72% of Dry January participants are engaging in “less risky” drinking six months after Dry January.
Besides health benefits, Dry January participants report to the group that they save money. The group has also found that those who officially sign up for the challenge on its website are more successful in making it the entire 31 days sans alcohol.
5. Dry-ish January is also becoming popular
While it’s not unusual for bars to capitalize on the Dry January trend, offering mocktails as an alternative to patrons, there’s another mechanism for mindful drinking: Dry-ish January, according to Jennifer Contraveos, Chicago-based senior portfolio ambassador for Bacardi USA.
“It’s certainly a trend we’re not only seeing at the start of any new year,” she said. “In many facets, people are more conscious of what we are putting into our bodies” year-round. Recognizing the trend, bartenders are offering not only alcohol-free drinks, but also recipes that use lower alcohol liquors or other substitutions to make for a good “Dry-ish” drink, Contraveos said.
