Self-improvement is on people’s minds as they head into a new year making goals to eat healthier, exercise more and give up alcohol for a month. Dry January has become a popular way to kick off the new year, but new research finds people are starting to approach this resolution a little differently.
Morning Consult surveyed more than 2-thousand adults about their drinking and Dry January plans and found:
- Participation in Dry January is down slightly, from 19% in 2022 to 15% in 2023.
- Fewer drinkers overall is one likely reason, since millennials drink less booze as a demographic, many don’t feel the need to give it up for a month. In December 2021, 69% of millennials reported that they drink alcohol, but that was down to 62% in December 2022, which translates to fewer potential Dry January participants.
- Some folks are also doing more of a Damp January this year, as 33% of those participating say they’re not quitting cold turkey. Some say they’ll only drink a few days this month, while others say they’ll drink more than a few days in January, but still less than they typically would.
- Health benefits are still the top reason nearly all participants say they’re cutting back on alcohol, but this year, money is a factor, too. Nearly two-thirds (73%) of participants say trying to save money is their motivation.
- And even though there are more mocktails and other nonalcoholic beverages that mimic their boozy counterparts these days, those doing Dry January this year are about half as likely to buy them as they were in 2022. The fact that nonalcoholic beer, wine and cocktails cost about the same as the boozy ones makes them less appealing to those who are abstaining to save money.
Source-The TakeOut
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