The Netherlands.
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I have joined for Dry January. I don’t know if it can already called a tradition yet but I have had that habit a few years now. I also try to cut down the consumption of sugar, salt and fat (sweets, crisps, pizza etc.) and that is much more difficult than be without alcohol. I do not drink at home at all and the few pints of beer every Friday and Saturday at the bar can be easily replaced by non-alcoholic drinks (for a month at least 
). It’s hard to let go of Friday’s pizza and a bag of candy for Sunday evening, on the other hand.
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Gave up alcohol after a liver infection revealed considerable scarring back in 2023 and have very much enjoyed exploring the many high quality no or low alcohol alternatives to the extent I probably drink more now than I ever did. Was brought up to never drink on school or working days and whilst that habit was certainly broken it’s equally certainly stuck with me. I do an order every three months and budget for one drink per week.
Whilst that might seem extraordinarily low to many, alcohol was always easily avoided by me as I filled my life with so many things which prevented long drinking sessions e.g. playing sport, watching sport, the theatre, the cinema, cycling and walking. I do appreciate that for many those were actually reasons to drink.
It remains the case for me though that they’re not. I cook fresh food 4 nights a week but will have a non-alcoholic accompaniment maybe the once. If I’m at football midweek then maybe a Beavertown Lazer Crush with my pre match Nando’s. On a Saturday, almost never.
Like others I find the concept of doing a month free rather odd. I’ve found that everyone I know who tried to use a short period of abstinence to justify longer periods of the opposite has ended up with generally poor health.
The January angle I find equally strange but perhaps for different reasons to others. I’ve always found January to be one of the most enjoyable months of the year.
When working I took my long annual holiday over Christmas and the New Year and generally ensured I didn’t return to work until the third week of January. That avoided all the Blue Monday guff, the moaning about family and friends, the tedious conversations about appalling hangovers etc. It also avoided some inevitable perceived work crisis which had unfolded over the holiday period and was an excuse for some people to bemoan the stupidity of having time off.
The shorter daylight hours are certainly an issue. My offspring and Mrs. H. suffer badly because of that but I adapted fairly simplistically. Out and walking as the sun came up, vitamin D supplements, catching up with family or friends at least once a week and then banging through TV or films I’d missed during the year.
Good luck to everyone who does this. I hope you put the money saved towards a good cause (including yourselves).
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When I cut out alcohol, which I do now and again, it is never for a fixed length of time and never planned. I just think I can’t be bothered to open a bottle of wine or a beer at the weekend. Then, for a period of a few weeks up to around 18 months, I don’t drink. I have tried non alcoholic beers and wines, but have not found one that I wanted to drink again, so I tend to stick to water at home. If out, I might have a lime and soda in a pub, and this would be with food. In a cafe, I ask for tap water. I have never really liked soft drinks much; they are normally too sweet for me. So my non-drinking phases are water-based, and this is mostly tap water.
As a long-term veggie since the 70s, there weren’t the faux meat items we have now, I ate a diet that was focused on vegetables. As I have been having extended gaps in my drinking of alcohol for many years, you couldn’t get the low or close to zero wines or beers, etc. So I think I have never felt the need to drink anything other than teas, coffee and water. I used to drink the occasional orange juice, but cut this out a decade ago due to having to be very focused on teeth health due to side effects from my head and neck cancer treatment. A good friend, who was never much of a drinker, has become an avid, very low alcohol wine or beer drinker and can go on for hours about them and thinks I am weird because I happy drinking water all afternoon at a summer BBQ. Another friend thinks it is a crime that I only have a smart car, so I can’t really be the designated driver.
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Doing dry till April.. (my 50th)
And starting Keto and the gym…
Starting on the 5th… these things need to be started on a Monday 
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At work I was perceived to be a bit weird because, if I drank, I only drank water. I can happily drink water at any event and am frequently astonished at the often aggressive and quite unpleasant pressure to do otherwise from friends and relatives. Indicative of problems they have rather than me I think.
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I always find this so interesting.
Maybe i am selfish as i enjoy a nice bottle of red as i enjoy exercise!! I don’t “buy” into the dry January and join a gym thinking, to me it’s like a Clinton card…!
As with everything in life…”everything in moderation”!
My wife doesn’t drink, never has. I’m now 60 and have found my drinks getting smaller as i get older!! I do so enjoy red wine these days. Maybe an occasional gin on a warm summers evening. I do enjoy working and therefore this means i don’t really drink on a “school night”!
Having said that i am with @Dan_M, i did receive a few bottle of champagne for my 60th which i have enjoyed over Christmas & New Year.
Respect to you all for all your choices.
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Just enjoyed a lovely dry Fino. Does that count?
G
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Nope. But I like your style
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Holdens Mild 3.7% is available in the Black Country and surrounding areas. Bottles and draught in Holdens pubs. I’ve a bottle for my son to try - he’s in his 20s. But you are right, it has the reputation as an old man’s drink!
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Crazy isn’t it when some end of date fermented pineapple in a pot might have a similar alcohol content!
May have mentioned it before but I was once asked for ID in Sainsburys to purchase a U rated Disney DVD (maybe Cinderella or Snow White)!
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Have many of us missed the intent of the thread by saying we’ve failed or aren’t doing so?
If you were looking for a supportive group of others wanting to do this I’d happily join in albeit a few days late - hope that doesn’t sound in any way patronising just it’s something I’d love to do but keep putting things off (or often social activities get in the way).
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Maybe, maybe not.
I think we should be supportive of like-minded people in whatever they want to do. January abstinence, January celebration - whatever works.
I don’t think I’ll be dry in January, but I’ll cheer on everyone here that is.
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I do like my nicely chilled sparkling white wine dry.
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I think a few people are starting after Sunday night. Which I get.
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I have also decided to start on Monday. I have 1 beer left in the fridge for Sunday 
Also bought 1 alcohol free beer to try the flavor.
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We have been dry since the morning of New Year’s Day, although the alcohol blood level probably took some time to drop. We are aiming for a predominantly dry January except for mid-month (wine-tasting course) and last weekend (anniversary). The challenge will be to revert to being dry in the second half of the month.
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I have had just two pints of cider since February 2024 and intend to carry on this year . ( Mainly for my health as Dr suggested a 6 month break when I changed my blood pressure medication)
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I did dry January 6 or 7 years ago and did not start again. It hasn’t done much for my memory as I can’t pin down the year.
I am going to cut out the wine gums this year as they seem to have replaced the cheeky red 
Hope all who try succeed, I didn’t find it earth shattering but I feel it has had an impact on life and relationships - not always for the better.
Cheers
CK
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