Dry January? I think I go dry every month

This morning on my way to the office, on the radio, I heard listeners relieved for giving up their dry January, and it made me thinking of my drinking habits and made me realising that I, unintentionally, go dry every month.

Jokes aside, I do drink and did have a sip or two of wine in the first two weeks of January but if the purpose of “dry January” initiative is to create awareness of health problems associated with heavy drinking, then a month is not enough.

Going completely off alcohol for a month and then return to a routine made of heavy drinking, doesn’t benefit our body or our wallet, and if the NHS statistics are reliable and alcohol related hospital admission are something to go by, “Dry January” is not the solution.

If we really want to change people drinking habits and improve the nation’s health, we need a year round initiative aimed at raising awareness about alcohol abuse, we don’t need any dry month. It possibly is a cultural thing, not easy to change, but if we really want to improve our health and wallet, we need a lot more than a dry month once a year.

Dry January, a whole month completely off alcohol, is difficult to achieve. Dry January is like any other new year’s resolution, difficult to stick it. For most people, it only last a couple of weeks at the most, dry January is no different than joining a gym or giving up chocolate.

I've been a regular gym member for years, and one of the reasons I chose my gym is because it’s usually not too crowded. However, every January, during the first two weeks, it becomes almost impossible to find space. This year was no exception. We are now on the third week and the gym attendance is almost back to “normal” times, many resolutions abandoned, exactly like the ones I heard on the radio this morning giving up on Dry January.

Lets forget Dry January and have a year round campaign that promotes a healthy attitude toward alcohol - one that fosters a cultural shift in drinking habits. This is the only way forward, offering real benefits for both our health and our wallets.

At Italyabroad.com, we’ve always championed a balanced approach to alcohol. We’ve never promoted cheap, low-quality wine or alcohol, even when it might hurt our bottom line. We believe in enjoying less, but better, and we reflect that commitment in our manifesto.

It’s time to move beyond Dry January and focus on the bigger picture. Only by doing so can we improve the nation’s health and free up much needed space in the NHS.