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By now, you\u2019re probably familiar with Dry January, the yearly tradition that prompts participants to give up alcohol for the duration of the month. The practice seems to resonate for a variety of reasons\u2014whether it\u2019s to recalibrate after a season of holiday drinking or to save money\u2014making it a popular short-term resolution.<\/p>\n
But what if complete abstinence isn\u2019t your goal? If you’d like to cut back without going entirely dry, you might be better suited for what has become known as \u201cDamp January.\u201d Rather than forgoing alcohol completely, the premise of this temporary practice is to drink mindfully and in moderation throughout the month.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery few people can stick to zero,\u201d said pediatrician and researcher Aaron E. Carroll, who serves as Indiana University\u2019s chief health officer, in a conversation with Harvard Public Health<\/a>. \u201cComplete abstinence is too often our\u2026message. We do this in nutrition all the time with salt, fat, and a whole bunch of things we eat. And it rarely works. For most people, there is a relatively safe amount of alcohol one can drink.\u201d<\/p>\n With Damp January, the idea is that one can still reduce their intake of alcohol, while reflecting on\u2014and have conversations about\u2014their relationship to it. \u201cWe should always take the approach of getting people to reduce harm,\u201d Carroll added.<\/p>\n One reason the trending resolution may be gaining traction in 2023 is that Americans\u2019 drinking habits have, broadly speaking, been in flux. According to a survey conducted by Morning Consult<\/a>, participation in Dry January dropped from 19 percent in 2022 to 15 percent in 2023. However, they argue that the reason for the decline is that consumers\u2014and millennials in particular\u2014are drinking less overall.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re interested in trying out Damp January for yourself, there are a couple approaches you could take. One option is to reduce the number of alcoholic beverages you consume each week\u2014play around with making mocktails<\/a> instead. It\u2019s also the ideal time to experiment with low-ABV wines<\/a>, spirits, and beers.<\/p>\n
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\nAre you participating in Damp January? Share with us below!<\/em>
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