“I need a drink!”
That’s a statement you’ve probably told yourself during stressful situations or even fun events or activities. The new year is a time to let go of bad habits and embrace new ones and for some, that may require you to put that wine bottle down and say, “No, thanks—I’m going dry.”
After a December filled with eggnog, cocktails and champagne toasts, Dry January offers a refreshing change of pace. It’s a growing movement encouraging people to abstain from alcohol for 31 days, and it has many eager to kick off 2025 with a healthier mindset.
But is Dry January just a trendy hashtag, or does it have real benefits? And how can you stick with it in a city where happy hours and social gatherings often revolve around a drink?
What is Dry January?
Dry January started in 2013 as a public health campaign by the nonprofit Alcohol Change UK.
Since then, the Dry January challenge, which started with 4,000 participants in its inaugural year, has attracted 215,000 participants globally for 2024, pledging people to put down their wine glasses and beer mugs for the month.
According to the World Health Organization, no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health. It is the alcohol that causes harm, not the beverage. Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-producing substance, classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, causing harm to our health.
“We cannot talk about a so-called safe level of alcohol use. It doesn’t matter how much you drink – the risk to the drinker’s health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage,” Dr. Carina Ferreira-Borges, who is acting Unit Lead for Noncommunicable Disease Management and Regional Advisor for Alcohol and Illicit Drugs in the WHO Regional Office for Europe said in a statement. “The only thing that we can say for sure is that the more you drink, the more harmful it is – or, in other words, the less you drink, the safer it is.”
But why are so many people embracing this challenge? For some, it’s about hitting the reset button.
“It was just the end of the year and the holidays and having time off work kind of led to going out consecutive days, drinking and consuming a lot of alcohol. I needed to take a break here,” said Blake Michelle, Houston content creator and co-host of The Suburban Black Girl Podcast. “Dry January gives me a chance to focus on my health and set the tone for the rest of the year.”
Blake Michelle, Houston content creator and co-host of The Suburban Black Girl Podcast. Credit: Suburban Black Girl Podcast
Even though she isn’t going cold turkey on drinking wine, she is opting out of liquor for the month. The Dry January Challenge is a habit she hopes to incorporate into her lifestyle.
“Going forward, I’m considering limiting alcohol from Monday-Friday, and then allowing myself to have a balance on the weekends,” she said. “It helps me cut back on my need to buy three cocktails when I go out because I’ve taken those breaks.”
The health benefits of going dry
Dr. Frita McRae Fisher, a board-certified medical doctor who shares medical tips on social media, says the liver is one of the biggest beneficiaries of Dry January. “It can reduce your risk for liver disease… heart disease… diabetes… improve cholesterol levels,” she said.
Taking a break from alcohol—even for just a month—can have significant health benefits. Medical experts say abstaining from alcohol can:
Improve liver function.
Boost mental clarity and mood.
Promote better sleep.
Help with weight management.
Challenges
Ashlyn Corrine, Co-Host, Suburban Black Girl Podcast. Credit: Suburban Black Girl Podcast
Of course, committing to Dry January isn’t without its hurdles—especially in a city like Houston, where social events often revolve around food and drinks.
“The biggest part is the social aspect of it all. Drinking alcohol is pretty much attached to many events and activities in the city,” says Ashlyn Corrine, marketing professional and co-host of The Suburban Black Girl Podcast. “Plus, being a working professional and being a content creator is a lot, and it helps to whine down and take the edge off.”
When she wasn’t detoxing, Corrine noticed that drinking alcohol took her off track. She noticed that it didn’t give her the energy to be productive. That’s what encouraged her to stay in the Dry January challenge until the end of the month.
Dry January is a chance to challenge yourself to commit to no alcohol consumption after indulging during the holiday. Credit: Getty Images
“As a transplant in Houston, it has helped me broaden my horizons and explore things outside of Houston nightlife or the food scene in general,” said Corrine. “The city has so much to offer, so I would encourage people to take advantage of that from that perspective.”
Alcohol use is directly linked to an elevated risk of cancer, according to Dr. Vivek Murthy’s Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk. In the United States, alcohol is the third most common avoidable cause of cancer, after obesity and tobacco. Even with mounting scientific evidence, less than half of Americans know it poses a risk.
“Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the U.S. – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” said Murthy. “This Advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimize harm.”
Alcohol consumption is linked to a higher risk of seven types of cancer, including breast, colorectum, esophagus, liver, mouth, throat and voice box, regardless of the type of alcohol consumed, with 16.4% of total breast cancer cases being linked to alcohol.
Here is what you should consider
Houston’s bars offer top-notch cocktails and booze-free alternatives like mocktails and delicious sips without alcohol. Most places now serve mocktails and booze-free drinks, ensuring flavor and fun without sacrificing alcohol.
Monkey’s Tail
Monkey’s Tail offers a diverse beverage list, including Tajin-rimmed cocktails, boilermakers, and boozy popsicles. They also offer crafted drinks without spirits, such as Jessie’s Topo ($4) and Penichill’n ($9). For fruit-forward drinks, try the passionfruit and mango Viva Maracuya ($7) or the Chango House Soda ($6).
Dish Society
Dish Society is a popular breakfast and lunch restaurant in Houston, Texas, offering alcohol-free elixirs, kombuchas, and mocktails. The restaurant, which opened in 2014, offers a variety of flavors, including butterfly pea blossom iced teas, Fauxjitos, and Spicy Strawberry Mockaritas. It also serves kombuchas and mocktails made with various ingredients.
Elixir Lounge
Elixir Lounge is a sober-friendly Old Town Spring bar that serves mocktails without alcohol. It offers kava, a Pacific Island root and herb drink with relaxing effects, along with other alcohol-free treats like kombucha, elixir teas, and fruity mocktails.
Duck N Boa
Duck N Bao offers 14 alcohol-free cocktails at $6 each, including the cucumber lime martini and the “love at first sight” with pomegranate syrup, sweet and sour, Sprite, and a lemon garnish.
