A week into the new year, more “Dry January” participants than ever statewide are making the adjustment to a month of sobriety.

“Historically, it began about a decade ago and started out in the UK,” said Samara Sharma, Director of Addiction Consult Psychiatry at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “And it was this movement of a new year reset and an opportunity to form additional healthier habits, including scaling back on alcohol. And what they found when they started doing was that it was a public health initiative.”

In the last few years, Sharma said, with the help of social media, the trend has taken off across the U.S.

“We’re entering this Dry January with a lot of tailwinds around moderation,” said Brent Franson, founder of the habit-assistance app Most Days, citing Gallup data showing a decrease in U.S. adults who drink alcohol from 65% in 2019 to 60% in 2022. “And so it’s not surprising, it’s about 15% of (U.S. adults) will participate in Dry January, which is a huge number in terms of where it’s come from.”

Even a month off alcohol can help people people have an honest assessment of their relationship with alcohol and try and make deliberate choices, said Franson, who noted he’s done Dry January for a decade.

In the upswing of the challenge, advocates and participants have pointed to the health, mental and financial benefits of a month-long period of abstinence.

“In 2018, new CDC rules came out around the idea that there isn’t unfortunately any ‘safe amount’ of alcohol consumed — so any amount of drinking, even minimal drinking, does posit some degree of risk,” Sharma said.

And as people make healthier choices, Sharma said, research shows that tends to “trickle” and compound.

“So people cutting back on the alcohol might also even subconsciously make better dietary choices,” Sharma said. “They might find themselves moving a little bit more through the course of their day because their energy levels are improving. Or thinking a little bit more clearly because their sleep quality has improved.”

Recently, more people have jumped on a “Damp” or “Dry-ish” January bandwagon, cutting back on alcohol rather than cutting it out entirely.

“For a long time we thought about having a problem with alcohol as being very binary,” Franson said. “Either you are an alcoholic who has a problem and needs to stop, or you don’t and you’re fine. Dry January kind of comes out of that milieu.

“But what has sprouted up more is a mindful drinking,” said Franson. “Movements around moderation that are just not so binary and harsh. And so it’s not surprising that we see ‘Damp January’ follow in those footsteps, which is like, ‘It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.’”

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“Scaling back any amount on your drinking is going to have health benefits for you,” said Sharma. … “It’s the idea that these incremental changes over a period of time really do end up having like very positive effects longer term.”

For those drying out for the first time, seasoned participants and advocates have a lot of advice on sticking with it.

The non-alcoholic and mocktail market has taken off around the area, giving more alternatives to go out or stay in and drink without drinking.

Social outings or workouts can also release endorphins and be a good alternative to times you may want to drink. Doing something “pro adaptively that you’re looking forward to,” Sharma said, can distract from the absence of alcohol.

For those doing a damper month, Franson said, the “primary risk” is not setting specific enough expectations — like drinking on any “special occasion” — so setting defining situations in which you will drink and holding yourself to them is key.

A customer enjoys a non-alcoholic beverage at Hekate Cafe and Elixer Lounge in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images, file)