Yahoo News This is how many drinkers are planning to do Dry January
One in seven British drinkers are going dry in January, new research suggests.
A YouGov survey published on Friday found 15% of Britons who drink will give up alcohol for the first month of 2023.
It compares to three-quarters (75%) of drinkers who will carry on, the polling found.
Overall, nearly a third (32%) of Britons do not drink at all, the survey suggested.
There is little difference in terms of gender, with 14% of male drinkers and 15% of female drinkers reporting that they plan to give up the booze.
The Alcohol Change UK charity says there are numerous benefits to taking part in “Dry January”.
It points to 2018 research by the Royal Free Hospital which found an alcohol-free month lowers blood pressure, reduces diabetes risk, lowers cholesterol and reduces levels of cancer-related proteins in the blood.
Aside from that, the charity says abstaining improves the quality of sleep and makes the mind calmer - as well as helping to save money.
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The charity also points to University of Sussex research which found 70% of people who took the month off were able to drink more healthily in the remainder of the year.
According to the charity Alcohol Change, more than 130,000 people took part in Dry January in 2022.
YouGov's Dry January figures, with 15% of alcohol drinkers abstaining next month, compare to the company's "Veganuary" survey which found only 3% of meat and dairy eaters are planning plant-based diets in January.
The stats come after Brits returned to pubs and restaurants throughout December, with the hospitality industry reporting solid numbers.
Latest data from OpenTable points to a positive Christmas period so far – despite strike action and pressure on consumer budgets.
It said bookings for the fortnight to 27 December were up by 35% from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
This was particularly strong over the latest week, with bookings up 57% on average compared with three years ago.
Chief executive Kate Nicholls said: “Pubs, restaurants and nightclubs are always perfect places to ring in the new year and bring friends and loved ones together and this year is no different.
“Despite recent trading disruptions and challenges like the rail strikes and rising cost of living, many venues across the country have put in a large amount of time, effort and resource into planning new year festivities to accommodate guest bookings during one of the busiest times of the year.
“The hospitality sector remains positive and we encourage people to go out and celebrate at their local hospitality business.”
