Dry January: a convenient distraction for the alcohol industry

Six years on and Dry January is more popular than ever, but does quitting booze for a month actually make a difference to your life? Ian Hamilton of the University of York found out.

Six years on and Dry January is more popular than ever, but does quitting booze for a month actually make a difference to your life? asks Ian Hamilton.

Looking at the Dry January website, managed by Alcohol Change UK, you’re left in little doubt: you can lose weight, save money, sleep better and have more energy. There is certainly evidence to support the negative effects of alcohol on all these things, but does that mean Dry January causes these positive effects?