The short answer
- Dry January means no alcohol from 1 to 31 January. It was launched by the charity Alcohol Change UK in 2013; the charity says around 200,000 people took part worldwide in 2025.
- In a study of 857 UK participants, taking part was linked to drinking less six months later, even among people who didn’t make it through the whole month, and very few drank more afterwards.
- After January, UK guidance is no more than 14 units a week, spread over 3 or more days. The US Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030 say to drink less alcohol for better overall health.
- If you drink heavily every day, or get shakes, nausea or anxiety when you don’t drink, don’t stop suddenly on your own: the NHS warns this can be very dangerous. See a doctor first.
- Free help: Drinkline (UK) 0300 123 1110; SAMHSA National Helpline (US) 1-800-662-4357.
What Dry January is, and who does it
The rule is simple: no alcohol for the 31 days of January. Alcohol Change UK started the campaign in 2013 with, by its own count, 4,000 people. By 2025 it reports around 200,000 participants worldwide. Similar challenges now run in other countries, including France’s “Défi de janvier” since 2020.
Who signs up matters for reading the research. A 2020 study comparing 1,192 Dry January participants with 1,549 other adult drinkers found that participants tended to have higher socioeconomic status, drank more, had lower wellbeing and felt less in control of their drinking than the general population. In other words, people who try Dry January are often people who already have a reason to cut back.
UK and US guidance, in plain numbers
UK. The NHS advises men and women not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis, and to spread drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink that much. One unit is 10 ml or 8 g of pure alcohol, roughly what an average adult can process in an hour. Some examples from the NHS:
| Drink | Units |
|---|---|
| Small glass of wine (125 ml, 12%) | 1.5 |
| Standard glass of wine (175 ml, 12%) | 2.1 |
| Pint of lower-strength beer (3.6%) | 2 |
| Pint of higher-strength beer (5.2%) | 3 |
Small glass of wine (125 ml, 12%)
Units1.5
Standard glass of wine (175 ml, 12%)
Units2.1
Pint of lower-strength beer (3.6%)
Units2
Pint of higher-strength beer (5.2%)
Units3
Five pints of strong beer in a week is 15 units, already over the guideline.
US. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 say: “Consume less alcohol for better overall health.” They add that some people should avoid alcohol completely, including pregnant women, people recovering from alcohol use disorder or unable to control how much they drink, and people taking medicines or with conditions that interact with alcohol. In the US, a standard drink contains about 14 g of pure alcohol, roughly 12 oz of 5% beer or 5 oz of 12% wine, according to the CDC.
What the research says
Most Dry January research comes from psychologist Richard de Visser’s team at the University of Sussex. These are observational studies of volunteers: they show associations, not proof of cause and effect. But the findings point the same way.
Six months on. In a 2016 paper in Health Psychology, the team followed 857 UK adults (249 men, 608 women) at the start of the challenge, one month later and six months later. At six months, participants drank less often, drank less when they did, and felt more confident refusing a drink, whether or not they had completed the month, though the changes were larger in those who had. Very few reported drinking more afterwards: no notable rebound.
Compared with other drinkers. In the 2020 comparison study, improvements seen in people who completed Dry January (self-rated health, wellbeing, control over drinking and alcohol intake) were not seen among adult drinkers who didn’t take a break, either in the short term or by August.
Wellbeing. Another 2020 study of 4,232 participants found rises in wellbeing and general self-efficacy by the end of the month, larger in those who succeeded. Making more use of the programme’s support emails was independently linked to completing the challenge.
What helps people finish. A 2026 study of 634 people registered for Dry January (410 answered the one-month follow-up) found that completing it was linked to, among other things, feeling able to refuse a drink, not living with other drinkers, and doing the challenge with other people.
The body. A UK hospital study published in 2018 followed 94 moderate-to-heavy drinkers who stopped for a month and 47 who kept drinking. In the abstinence group, insulin resistance fell by about 26% (median) and blood pressure by about 6%; the control group showed no such changes. People with alcohol dependence were excluded.
Before you start: who shouldn’t stop alone
Dry January is for people who can stop safely. The NHS is blunt: it can be very dangerous to stop drinking suddenly if you’re dependent on alcohol. Withdrawal symptoms (anxiety, trouble sleeping, nausea, tremors and, in severe cases, confusion, hallucinations or seizures) usually start 6 to 12 hours after the last drink and last 3 to 7 days. If you get withdrawal symptoms, the NHS says to get medical help before you try to stop.
If you drink heavily every day, need a drink in the morning, or feel any of these symptoms when you go without, talk to your GP or doctor first. Stopping can be done safely with support.
- UK: Drinkline, 0300 123 1110, free and confidential (weekdays 9am to 8pm, weekends 11am to 4pm).
- US: SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, free, confidential, 24/7.
How to get through the month
Dry January is a habit to stop, and the methods in our guide on how to break a bad habit apply directly.
- Map your risky moments. Friday drinks after work, dinner at friends’, a glass while cooking, the game on TV. Write them down before 1 January.
- Prepare a line. “I’m doing Dry January” usually does it. In de Visser’s studies, feeling able to refuse a drink goes with completing the challenge.
- Pick a replacement drink. Sparkling water with lime, a soft drink you like, a herbal tea. Having something in your hand helps at social events.
- Write “if–then” plans. “If someone offers me a drink, then I ask for a sparkling water.” “If I want a drink when I get home, then I shower first.”
- Do it with someone. A partner, a colleague, a group of friends: doing it together is linked to finishing it.
- If you slip, keep going. One drink on 12 January doesn’t undo anything. In the 2016 study, even people who didn’t complete the month were drinking less six months later.
Track it like a habit
Seeing the days add up keeps the challenge visible. In Binome360, you create the habit “No alcohol” in one sentence. Each evening your assistant asks whether you held: you say yes, or tell it what happened. You can also set up a savings goal for the money you don’t spend on drinks.
I’m doing Dry January. Check in with me every evening, and set up a goal for the money I’d spend on drinks
I’ve drafted the habit “No alcohol in January” with an evening check-in, and a savings goal “Dry January” of £80 by 31 January. Save both?
Yes. Add £20 for this week
Ready: £20 towards “Dry January”. Save it?
Nothing is saved until you confirm. The app keeps the record; it never moves money.
Try Binome360 for freeThe maths, to keep you going: two nights out a week at two pints of £5 each is £20 a week, or £80 over four weeks, before counting bottles bought for home.
✓ done · ★ joker (planned rest day) · empty: missed
After January
The real value of the month is what it shows you: when drinking is on autopilot, when you actually miss it, and when you don’t notice it’s gone. For the rest of the year, UK guidance gives a frame: no more than 14 units a week, spread out, with drink-free days. You can keep a “drink-free days” habit in your habit tracker, for example Monday to Thursday.
If the month was much harder than you expected, that’s useful information, not a failure. Talk to your doctor or one of the helplines above.
Create the habit in one sentence; your assistant checks in each evening to see how you did.
- Habits to stop as well as habits to start
- An evening check-in: answer “yes” or tell it what happened
- Streaks that show how far you’ve come
- A savings goal for the money you didn’t spend
Frequently asked questions
Is Dry January worth it if I slip?
According to the research so far, yes. In the 2016 study, participants who didn’t complete the month were also drinking less six months later, though the effect was stronger in those who did. What matters is carrying on after a slip rather than giving up.
Will I drink more in February?
The data don’t suggest so: in the 2016 study, very few participants said they drank more after their month off. Planning what comes next, such as drink-free days and a clear weekly limit, helps keep the benefits.
What if I drink every day?
Then start by talking to your doctor, or call Drinkline (UK) or the SAMHSA helpline (US). Stopping suddenly can be dangerous if you’re dependent, and support makes it safe.
Do I have to quit for good?
That isn’t what Dry January is for. It’s a chance to take stock. Afterwards, the UK’s 14-unit guideline and the US advice to drink less are the frame; some people, including pregnant women, shouldn’t drink at all.
In short
Dry January is an alcohol-free month that, according to studies from the University of Sussex, is linked to drinking less and feeling more in control six months later, even if you slip. It isn’t for people who are dependent on alcohol, who should stop with medical support. First step: today, write down your three riskiest moments in January and the line you’ll use to turn down a drink.
Sources
- Alcohol Change UK, “About Dry January”: alcoholchange.org.uk.
- NHS, “Alcohol units”, reviewed 2024: nhs.uk.
- NHS, “Alcohol-use disorder”, reviewed 2026: nhs.uk.
- NHS, “Alcohol support”, reviewed 2026: nhs.uk.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, 2026: realfood.gov.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “About Moderate Alcohol Use”, 2025: cdc.gov.
- SAMHSA, National Helpline: samhsa.gov.
- R. O. de Visser, E. Robinson and R. Bond, “Voluntary temporary abstinence from alcohol during ‘Dry January’ and subsequent alcohol use”, Health Psychology, 35, 281–289, 2016: doi.org/10.1037/hea0000297.
- R. O. de Visser and R. Piper, “Short- and Longer-Term Benefits of Temporary Alcohol Abstinence During ‘Dry January’ Are Not Also Observed Among Adult Drinkers in the General Population: Prospective Cohort Study”, Alcohol and Alcoholism, 55, 433–438, 2020: doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agaa025.
- R. O. de Visser and J. Nicholls, “Temporary abstinence during Dry January: predictors of success; impact on well-being and self-efficacy”, Psychology & Health, 35, 1293–1305, 2020: doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2020.1743840.
- R. O. de Visser et al., “The influence of individual characteristics and social factors on not drinking alcohol during ‘Dry January’: results from a prospective study”, Psychology & Health, 2026: doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2026.2652425.
- G. Mehta et al., “Short-term abstinence from alcohol and changes in cardiovascular risk factors, liver function tests and cancer-related growth factors: a prospective observational study”, BMJ Open, 8, e020673, 2018: doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020673.
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