How about taking a break from alcohol in January? Dry January – the January challenge

It’s an opportunity to discover the benefits of an alcohol-free month: undisturbed sleep, increased energy, lower blood pressure, improved concentration, weight loss, fresher, better-looking skin, less spending...

It’s also a chance to identify when an alcoholic drink has become more of a habit than a conscious choice.

The rules of the challenge are simple: abstain from alcohol from the time you get up on 1 January until the end of the month. Everyone who participates does so with their own goals and in their own way, enabling them to examine their personal relationship with alcohol, consider their ability to control it and acknowledge the benefits of taking a break.

Public health figures show that nearly a quarter of the adult population exceeds alcohol guidelines, which recommend no more than two drinks a day and having drink-free days.

Even in small quantities, alcohol poses risks to health, so Dry January is a good excuse to take stock of your drinking.

With the Christmas and New Year holidays often going hand in hand with excess, Dry January is an opportunity to offer your body some respite, and to recognise that there are other ways to enjoy spending time with friends and family. After taking a break, alcohol consumption falls and awareness remains, with control over drinking continuing long beyond January.

You can register at dryjanuary.fr to receive tips, other people’s stories and even recipes for non-alcoholic cocktails throughout January.

For people with an alcohol dependency, it can be dangerous to stop drinking suddenly. They can, if they wish, embark on treatment, and it is vital that they receive support when doing so.

The Centre for Addiction Treatment, Support and Prevention (CSAPAM) is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, at 7 bis, avenue des ligures or by telephone (+377) 99.98.27.97 and will provide clear information and offer treatment and/or risk reduction, on the basis of a medical and psychological assessment, for people struggling with addiction and their family and friends.