Are you taking part in Dry January?
In the spirit of “New year, new you” many people choose to make positive life choices in January. Common New Year’s resolutions tend to be to exercise more, eat more healthily and to give up bad habits – so have you considered trying Dry January?
What is Dry January?
As the name suggests, Dry January is an initiative that encourages people to stop drinking alcohol for the month of January. Created by Alcohol Change UK in 2013, this campaign originally started small with just 4,000 people taking part. Now, Dry January has become a huge national success, and last year 130,000 people participated in a bid to save money, better their health and start 2022 on the right foot.
The health impacts of alcohol
The NHS recommends that adults drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, and that these should be spread over the course of 3 or more days. In terms of drinks, this equals around 6 medium glasses of wine (175ml) or 6 pints of beer with a 4% alcohol content.*
Zero alcohol consumption most beneficial to health, and excessive drinking has been linked to a number of health conditions. These include:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Liver disease
- Various cancers
Excessive alcohol consumption has also been found to weaken the immune system – making people more susceptible to things like colds and flu!
Did you know that alcohol affects your oral health too?
Drinking alcohol can affect the health of your mouth in many ways. Excessive alcohol consumption has been identified as a key risk factor for mouth cancer. This is because alcohol contains carcinogenic elements that damage the DNA in cells.
Additionally, many alcoholic beverages are fizzy or high in sugar. Drinking these regularly can lead to problems such as decay and tooth erosion – both of which require dental work to fix!
Ever stumbled over when drunk? Have you ever experienced violent behaviour when inebriated? Alcohol-related injuries often affect the face and mouth and can require expensive surgery to correct!
The helping hand you need
Giving up alcohol is often life-changing, so why not give Dry January a chance?
If you need any support, feel free to speak to your dental team and we will give you the advice and encouragement you need to help reduce your alcohol intake.
Alcohol Change UK also has a number of resources to help you succeed at Dry January, including the Try Dry app that tracks your progress and lets you set customised goals for the year.