The Dry January challenge has official partners in Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Iceland, France, South Tyrol, the Netherlands11 and the US.
In some countries, such as the Czech Republic and Canada, Dry February [cs] (or Dry Feb) is campaigned instead. The Finnish Government had launched a campaign called "Sober January" in 1942 as part of its war effort.14
A Morning Consult poll conducted from January 4–5, 2021, with 2,200 US adults found that 13 percent of American respondents were participating in "Dry January". This compared with 11% in previous years. 79 percent attributed the decision to being healthier15 while 72 percent were trying to drink less alcohol in general; 63 percent said they wanted to "reset" their drinking, and 49 percent said they were drinking too much during the COVID-19 pandemic.16 In 2022, 35% of adult drinkers decided to become abstinent at the start of the New Year.17 Some people believe that they will go back to their old drinking habits right after Dry January, but recent studies have shown that making this small lifestyle change can have a lasting impact for months down the road.18
For participants with a dependency on alcohol, Dry January may lead to symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome if they start out abstaining completely.19 For such people, experts advise consultation with a health professional before participating in this exercise.2021
"Search for a trade mark - Intellectual Property Office". trademarks.ipo.gov.uk. Retrieved December 23, 2022. https://trademarks.ipo.gov.uk/ipo-tmcase/page/Results/1/UK00003025919 ↩
"ALL ABOUT DRY JANUARY 2014". Mhealthylifestylemag.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150102210945/http://www.mhealthylifestylemag.com/#!dry-january/c1abx ↩
"One in seven Brits plan to take part in Dry January 2023, charity estimates". The Independent. December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/dry-january-app-one-in-seven-b2248729.html ↩
"The Dry January® story". Alcohol Change UK. Retrieved December 16, 2024. https://alcoholchange.org.uk/help-and-support/managing-your-drinking/dry-january/about-dry-january/the-dry-january-story ↩
"10 year anniversary". Alcohol Change UK. Retrieved December 23, 2022. https://alcoholchange.org.uk/help-and-support/managing-your-drinking/dry-january/about-dry-january/dry-january-10-year-anniversary ↩
Brodeur, Nicole (December 27, 2010). "A good time to dry up". Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2020. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/a-good-time-to-dry-up/ ↩
Lauzun, Hélène de (January 6, 2024). "Dry January: A Secular Lent". europeanconservative.com. Retrieved February 24, 2025. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/essay/dry-january-a-secular-lent/ ↩
"The Dry January story". Alcohol Change UK. Retrieved December 23, 2022. https://alcoholchange.org.uk/help-and-support/managing-your-drinking/dry-january/about-dry-january/the-dry-january-story ↩
"Festive Drinkers Urged To Try 'Dry January'". LBC. Archived from the original on January 2, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150102212331/http://www.lbc.co.uk/festive-drinkers-urged-to-try-dry-january-102171 ↩
de Visser, Richard O.; Nicholls, James (March 27, 2020). "Temporary abstinence during Dry January: predictors of success; impact on well-being and self-efficacy". Psychology & Health. 35 (11): 1293–1305. doi:10.1080/08870446.2020.1743840. ISSN 0887-0446. PMID 32216557. S2CID 214680311. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2020.1743840 ↩
"Over IkPas". IkPas (in Dutch). Retrieved December 29, 2023. https://ikpas.nl/over-ons/ ↩
"Eistee statt Kopfweh". dryjanuary.ch. Retrieved December 7, 2020. https://dryjanuary.ch/de/erfahren/eistee-statt-kopfweh ↩
""Raitis tammikuu" (1942) oli tehokas propagandahyökkäys". viestijat.fi. January 2, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2015. http://viestijat.fi/raitis-tammikuu-1942-oli-tehokas-propagandahyokkays/ ↩
"How To Win At Dry January". Surely Dealcoholized Wines. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021. https://www.hisurely.com/a/blog/dry-january ↩
Meyers, Alyssa (January 8, 2021). "2020 Didn't Sap Americans' Appetite for Dry January". Morning Consult. Retrieved January 11, 2021. https://morningconsult.com/2021/01/08/most-americans-skipping-dry-january/ ↩
Valinsky, Jordan (February 16, 2022). "Dry January was more popular than ever. That's good news for the alcohol industry | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved February 15, 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/16/business/dry-january-participation-2022/index.html ↩
"The benefits of 'Dry January' last longer than a month, studies show". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 15, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/12/27/dry-january-health-benefits/ ↩
Solan, Matthew (January 3, 2022). "Thinking of trying Dry January? Steps for success". Harvard Health. Retrieved January 3, 2023. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/thinking-of-trying-dry-january-steps-for-success-202201032662 ↩
"Dry January: What are the benefits and drawbacks?". BBC Good Food. Retrieved January 3, 2023. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/dry-january-benefits-drawbacks ↩
"Advice | Ask a Doctor: Will 'Dry January' trigger alcohol withdrawal symptoms?". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 3, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/01/02/alcohol-withdrawal-dry-january/ ↩