Dry January: benefits, rules and tips
A month off alcohol is simple to describe and harder to do. Here is where it comes from, what it has been shown to do, how to set your rules, and what to do if you slip.
Dry January is a month without alcohol that began in 2013 with Alcohol Change UK and has grown from 4,000 participants to 200,000 app and tool users worldwide in 2025 [1]. Participants in a 2019 evaluation self-reported saving money (86%), sleeping better (70%) and having more energy (66%) [2]. In a BMJ Open study of 94 people, a month off cut insulin resistance by 25.9% and systolic blood pressure by 6.6% [3]. If you drink heavily, speak to a doctor before stopping suddenly [4].
What Dry January is
Dry January is a challenge to go the month without alcohol. It began in 2013 with Emily Robinson, who had given up alcohol in January 2011 while training for a half marathon and later joined Alcohol Change UK, where the campaign was developed. It started with 4,000 participants and reached 200,000 people using its app and tools worldwide in 2025 [1]. The charity reports that 17.5 million people were planning a month off alcohol in January 2026 [2].
Track it in Sober Girl
The benefits, in two kinds of evidence
What people report. In Alcohol Change UK’s summary of a 2019 evaluation by Dr Richard de Visser at the University of Sussex, participants said:
What Dry January participants reported
Share of participants who said so, 2019 evaluation
What was measured. A BMJ Open study followed 94 healthy people who abstained for a month, with 47 who kept drinking for comparison. The abstainers had significant falls in insulin resistance, blood pressure, weight and two cancer-related growth factors [3].
What changed after one month without alcohol
Reduction from baseline in people who abstained for a month (n = 94). Bars show the size of the fall.
Both come with limits. The first is self-reported by people who chose to take part. The second was observational and excluded people with liver disease or alcohol dependence [3]. Neither proves a month off will do the same for you.
Before you start
Set your rules before the 1st
- All 31 days or the rest of the month. If you start late, count 31 days from your start.
- What counts. Decide in advance about alcohol-free drinks. Some people want them, some find they keep the habit alive.
- What a slip means. Decide now. A slip is information about what to plan for, not a verdict.
- Who knows. Tell one person who will ask how it is going.
Tips for getting through it
These are practical suggestions, not research findings:
- Clear the house before the 1st.
- Mark the hard dates. Look at January for birthdays, dinners and weekends away, and decide what you will drink and when you will leave.
- Have a replacement ritual. If you pour a glass while cooking, pour something else. See our guide to what to do instead of drinking.
- Make a craving plan. Our guides to urge surfing and to stopping alcohol cravings help.
- Make it visible. Use a calendar or a tracker so you can see the streak. Our printable sobriety calendar and sobriety calculator are free.
If you slip
Log it, note what led to it, and carry on. Alcohol Change UK reports that six months after the campaign, seven out of ten participants were still drinking less riskily than before, which suggests a month, even an imperfect one, can leave a mark [1]. For the full list of tracking apps, see our guide to apps for Dry January.
Is Sober Girl right for you?
- use an Android phone (the iPhone app is coming soon)
- want a private tracker, with your journal kept on your device
- want a day counter, money saved and a daily check-in in one calm place
- want a Craving SOS with a breathing exercise and a 10-minute timer
- want to start free and add Plus only if you need the journal, insights or milestone cards
- need it on an iPhone today (the App Store version is coming soon)
- want a community feed, live coaching or an AI chat
- want a structured multi-week education program
- need medical help for heavy drinking or withdrawal. An app is not treatment, so see the safety notes above
Frequently asked questions
What is Dry January?
A challenge to go the month of January without alcohol, started in 2013 by Alcohol Change UK. It grew from 4,000 participants that year to 200,000 app and tool users worldwide in 2025.
What are the benefits of Dry January?
Participants in a 2019 evaluation self-reported saving money (86%), better sleep (70%) and more energy (66%). In a BMJ Open study, 94 people who abstained for a month saw significant falls in insulin resistance, blood pressure and weight.
What are the rules of Dry January?
There are no official penalties. Decide whether you are doing all 31 days, what counts as alcohol, and what a slip means, and tell one person.
What if I break Dry January?
Log it and carry on. Alcohol Change UK reports that six months after the campaign, seven in ten participants were still drinking less riskily.
Sources
- About Dry January. Alcohol Change UK.
- The evidence behind the Dry January challenge: benefits and long-term impact. Alcohol Change UK, summarising evaluations by Dr Richard de Visser, University of Sussex. Self-reported results from people who signed up to Dry January, not a controlled trial.
- Short-term abstinence from alcohol and changes in cardiovascular risk factors, liver function tests and cancer-related growth factors: a prospective observational study. Mehta G, Macdonald S, Cronberg A, et al. BMJ Open 2018;8:e020673. Observational study. 94 people who chose to abstain for a month and 47 who kept drinking.
- Alcohol withdrawal. MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine), reviewed 1 January 2025 by Frank D. Brodkey, MD.
- National Helpline. SAMHSA. Free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral line: 1-800-662-4357.
How we write these. Every figure above links to the source it came from, and we label self-reported and observational results as such. Where we could not find a source we trust, the page says so instead of filling the gap. Sober Girl is made by ShipAI Lab and this is not medical advice. Sources were checked on 6 October 2026. If you spot an error, email us at integrateopenai@gmail.com.
Keep reading
Today is day one.
Sober Girl is a private sobriety tracker for women, on Android now and coming soon to iPhone: day counter, money saved, craving SOS and a tree that grows with you. Free to start.