Feel like taking a break from alcohol in January?

The Dry January challenge

Popular in France since 2020, the Dry January campaign targets people who are thinking about their alcohol consumption and want to try a break.

It’s an opportunity to discover the benefits of a month without alcohol: better sleep, enhanced energy, a drop in blood pressure, better concentration, weight loss, fresher looking, prettier skin, and savings.

Participants also identify alcohol-based drinks that are not a deliberate choice but rather part of a routine.

The rules are simple: stop drinking alcohol from the time you wake up on January 1 until the end of the month. Each participant has their own goals and completes the month in their own way so as to question their own relationship with alcohol, analyse their ability for self-control and recognise the benefits of this break.

According to public health figures, almost a quarter of the adult population exceeds the recommended limit of no more than two drinks of alcohol per day, and not every day.

Even at low doses, alcohol is a health risk, so “Dry January” is the perfect occasion to take stock of one’s drinking habits.

After the festive season – sometimes synonymous with excess – “Dry January” gives your body a break and shows that you can enjoy social situations differently. After this break, alcohol consumption drops and awareness persists; the process of getting control over one’s alcohol intake continues well beyond January. 

Register on https://dryjanuary.fr/ for advice, portraits and non-alcoholic cocktail recipes throughout the month of January.

A sudden stop in drinking can be dangerous for people who are addicted to alcohol, who can, if they wish, seek care. Support is important. 

The CSAPAM is open from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, at 7 bis, avenue des Ligures, and by phone (+377) 99.98.27.97. It provides clear information, care and/or risk reduction, after a medical and psychological assessment for individuals and their loved ones experiencing difficulties with drinking or addicted to alcohol.