Who Answers?
You might have heard of Dry January on social media platforms or television. During this time, people swear off booze for a month. Many people participate in the trend as a way of committing to a more fit year or slacking off drinking too much for a while. A recent report shows millions of Americans are becoming curious about sobriety beyond January.
About 60 percent of Americans have reported drinking occasionally since the 1940s according to The New Consumer Coefficient Capital. This number has remained consistent until now. The statistic is starting to make a downward shift. According to the report 26% of Americans polled are planning to drink less this year. Why the sudden change after approximately eighty years?
As we start a new year we often reflect on the old one. Did we accomplish our goals and what would we want to do better this year? For some of us it’s all about health. Of those surveyed 32% cut back on drinking to live longer and 24%made the change to shed some weight. Another 23% stopped drinking for mental health reasons.
Even for the occasional drinker we now know that no amount of alcohol is healthy. It can affect our sleep patterns, increase cardiac issues and many other problems. The World Health Organization in 2022 deemed alcohol unsafe at any amount.
Dry January helps people reassess their relationship with drinking. It gives them time to notice how much better they feel when they aren’t consuming alcohol, and they may become more aware of the role it plays in their daily activities. It may even illustrate how much fun is possible without even a sip of alcohol.
The “Sober Curious Movement” is relatively new but more people are finding ways to socialize and enjoy a night out without alcohol. Today there are sober bars and after work socials that don’t include drinking. It’s not clear yet where this new curiosity about sobriety will lead but for now, it seems that the dry season is extending far beyond Dry January.
