Banishing the booze

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Banishing the booze

The “Dry January” campaign is the ideal way for pharmacy teams to encourage customers to think about their drinking habits and make healthy changes

With Christmas nearly over and a new year in sight, it’s a time when many people reassess their lifestyles and look to make the next year healthier and happier. Unsurprisingly, following the season of festive excess, one of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to drink less alcohol.

By keeping within the Government’s guidelines of two to three units of alcohol per day for women and three to four units for men, there’s a low risk of alcohol causing any health problems. However, despite this, over nine million adults in the UK drink more than the recommended amount and alcohol remains the third biggest risk factor for disease and death in the UK after smoking and obesity. This is where the annual campaign ‘Dry January’ can help.

Launched in 2012 by the charity Alcohol Concern, Dry January aims to encourage people to think about their drinking habits and support them through 31 alcohol-free days. Jackie Ballard, Alcohol Concern’s chief executive officer, explains: “We felt that January was a good chance to catch people after drinking a lot over Christmas. Dry January is a chance for people who recognise they are drinking at this level to break habits, but it’s really important to know that it isn’t a medical detox if people are dependent on alcohol. If that’s the case then they need referring to their GP.”

Talking point

Dry January offers a great opportunity to have an open conversation with people about alcohol and, as Jackie explains, the pharmacy is an ideal place to publicise the campaign. “[Pharmacy] staff can recognise people drinking above the recommended levels so, for example, if they’ve got a prescription for a medicine which they can’t drink alcohol with, then it’s an ideal way to bring up their drinking habits,” she says, adding that “it is a non-threatening way to bring up a potentially sensitive subject.”

In January 2015, 50,000 people registered to take part in the campaign, but opinion polling showed that two million people actually completed a dry, alcohol-free month. “This year we’re hoping for those two million to sign up. It costs nothing to register so there’s nothing to lose,” says Jackie.

Jackie is also quick to point out that people are more likely to succeed if they have publicly said they are attempting the challenge, as they’ll have their friends and family to answer to if they slip up. Participants are supported with regular emails from Alcohol Concern throughout January, which have proved to be particularly helpful around the middle of the month when some people start to lose willpower.

“There’s also our Facebook page,” says Jackie, “where we have health and fitness experts on there once or twice a week and people can ask questions and get tips.”

Feel the benefit

To encourage people to take part in the campaign, it’s worth pharmacy teams pointing out the benefits of drinking less alcohol. In fact, cutting out alcohol comes with a whole host of advantages, from having more money in the bank to significant health benefits that go far beyond not having to deal with a morning hangover.

For instance, alcohol is full of sugar and calories which have no nutritional benefit, so limiting alcohol intake can help with weight maintenance and reduce the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes. What’s more, over time, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to serious health problems such as liver disease and various forms of cancer, so cutting down and sticking within the recommended guidelines can drastically reduce this risk.

In the short term, however, Jackie says: “From our feedback, we’ve found the first thing people notice when they cut back on their drinking is that they sleep better. People often think that alcohol helps them sleep and, yes, it might help people get to sleep quicker, but alcohol means you don’t get down into REM sleep – that deep sleep that allows you to wake up refreshed and full of energy.”

Day 31 and beyond

Last year, 70 per cent of the people who took part in Dry January continued to drink alcohol at lower levels six months after the campaign, proving the long-term benefits that just one dry month can have. “The month makes them think about their behaviour and habits and see if they can change. They find that life is better and they can resist peer pressure more,” says Jackie. “The power is within themselves and Dry January can really help to reset the dial. They’re unlikely to go back to drinking at the same levels as before when they realise that they sleep better, they have more energy, their skin is better and they were still fun!”

Making a difference

It’s not just the participants that benefit from Dry January. Despite primarily being a behaviour change campaign, Dry January participants have raised thousands of pounds for Alcohol Concern, helping the charity fund campaigns to reduce alcohol misuse, especially among young people, raise awareness about alcohol and health, and lobby for changes in legislation such as introducing a minimum price of at least 50 pence per unit of alcohol.

“People can sign up to Dry January without having to fundraise, but if they’re saving money by not drinking then why not give to charity? We’re an independent charity and we don’t take any money from alcohol companies, so any money raised really does help,” says Jackie.

Get involved

Dry January resource packs, including posters, leaflets, sign up forms and fundraising ideas, can be downloaded from: the Dry January website.

 They’re unlikely to go back to drinking at the same levels as before when they realise that they sleep better, they have more energy, their skin is better and they were still fun

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