LocalNewsOnly.com February 22, 2022
Festive February? 1 in 5 Texans drink heavily in February following Dry January abstinence, survey finds.
- Many who missed Dry January plan to make it up in ‘Sober October’.
- 31% of those who participate in Dry January said they tend to have their first drink on February 1st.
- Infographic showing ‘Festive February’ stats across the country.
Most are familiar with the term ‘Dry January’: the month-long challenge at the very beginning of each year where some drinkers choose to abstain from alcohol. Given the often unpleasant effects of drinking on the body – including a raging hangover the following day – as well as reasons like being sober curious, many people aim to cut down on their alcohol intake over January. But does this abstinence continue into the months following the Dry January Challenge? It appears not for long.
Detox.net, a provider for addiction treatment resources, conducted a survey of 3,094 drinkers to determine if those partaking in Dry January will continue this trend of abstinence into the following months. It was discovered that nearly 1 in 5 (15%) Texans who partake in Dry January each year admit they drink more alcohol in February to make up for the lack thereof during Dry January. This compares to a national average of 18%.
When compared across states, this figure was highest in Alaska, where 40% of drinkers admit they clink glasses more in February in order to make up for lost time over Dry January. On the other hand, this figure was just 8% in Kansas.
Infographic showing ‘Festive February’ stats across the country
The survey also found that one-third (33%) of drinkers said they consider Dry January to be the most boring month of the year, and in fact, 31% of those who participate said they tend to have their first drink on the first day of February.
It seems many genuinely do have the desire to cut down on their drinking as 43% of respondents who either skipped or failed Dry January this year said they’d still participate in ‘Sober October’ (the same month-long alcohol abstaining challenge). More than half (56%) of those who did partake in Dry January this year said this year’s will have been the easiest one yet given that socializing was kept minimal due to the recent COVID uptick due to the omicron variant.
More than one-third (37%) of respondents believe Dry January is simply a health fad. However, for many of those who partake, they might feel like they need the booze break if they identify a dependence issue within themselves. Others who participate might do so out of curiosity of a sober lifestyle. Regardless of the reason, studies have found that any amount of alcohol at all has a negative impact on the body, therefore, Dry January can have positive effects if maintained throughout and the decrease in drinking habits continues.
