Who says early January, says good resolutions for some of the French. After the potential excesses during the end-of-year holidays, some take on the challenge of not drinking alcohol for a month. “Dry January” comes straight from the United Kingdom. It arrived in France in 2020, supported by several alcoholism prevention associations.
The goal is to take stock of your alcohol consumption and your relationship to drinking. In France, alcohol causes 49,000 deaths per year, according to the Ministry of Health. In 2024, 4.5 million French people will have tried a month without alcohol, according to the “Dry January” operation website. But does this break really have a beneficial effect on health?
“Stopping alcohol is necessarily good for your health”straight away Mickael Naassila, president of the French Society of Alcoholology, interviewed by franceinfo. Several studies show a concrete effect on sleep, blood pressure, weight, hair and skin. But the first benefit of “Dry January” is felt at night. According to a 2020 British study, 56% of people noticed an improvement in the quality of their sleep.
“Sleep is improved because the body no longer needs to eliminate alcohol during the night, allowing it to regenerate itself.”
Richard de Visser, author of the studyat franceinfo
Indeed, alcohol has a direct impact on the sleep cycle and in particular on the paradoxical sleep phase, the one which allows recovery and consolidation of memory. “Sleep has an impact on a large part of our health and our life. Sleeping better allows us to be more concentrated at work, for example, and to have more energy”adds the British specialist.
In 2018, researchers at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust also observed benefits for the blood. The level of “bad” cholesterol decreased on average by 9.4% among people who stopped drinking alcohol for a month. The researchers also noted a slight drop in blood pressure, as well as“a significant reduction in serum alanine aminotransferase levels”one of the markers of liver cancer, with a decrease of 14.5% in one month.
The beneficial effects are therefore numerous. “The effects will be more or less significant depending on basic consumption, age and experience”nuance Mickael Naassila. In fact, a person who is in the habit of drinking a drink every evening before going to bed will notice a bigger difference in their sleep than a person who only drinks a few glasses occasionally.
Alcoholism prevention associations also see this challenge as a good opportunity for the French to take stock of their relationship with alcohol. A university study carried out on nearly 5,000 French people, published in December 2024, finds that people who drink the most are more likely to participate in “Dry January” than the rest of the population. “Participants were more likely to identify with risky drinking (…) and to worry about the control (or lack of control) they have over their alcohol consumption”note the authors.
However, doctors do not recommend that a person dependent on alcohol do the challenge alone. Stopping consumption so abruptly could create withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, rapid pulse, sometimes hyperventilation, etc. “You must be accompanied by a medical team in order to replace alcohol consumption with medication and ensure psychological monitoring”estimates Christophe Cutarella, addictologist, interviewed by franceinfo.
For him, if a person can't stop drinking for a month, they can always “aim for a reduction target” or “stop for two weeks”. Because the first effects are quickly visible, particularly on sleep and on the upper aerodigestive tracts, which are altered by alcohol. “The effects are felt after one to two weeks, while the body adapts to stopping alcohol”confirms British researcher Richard de Visser.
However, it is even more profitable to give up alcohol beyond “Dry January”. Several studies prove that the longer a person goes without drinking alcohol, the more likely they are to benefit from the positive effects of this long-term cessation. “We noticed that people who lasted the whole month of January without drinking benefited from positive effects on the body up to six months later”assures Richard de Visser.
“People who took part in 'Dry January' reduce their consumption afterwards, which again has a positive effect on health.”
Richard de Visser, doctor of public healthat franceinfo
Indeed, according to the British researcher, only 11% of participants have a “rebound effect” after this month without alcohol, that is to say they drink more “to compensate” while the rest of the participants “reduce their consumption or continue abstinence”.
In fact, by stopping alcohol for a month, they are better aware of the impact on health. “Often when they start again, they feel stronger effects of alcohol on the body because the body is no longer used to it, which makes them aware of the harmful effect”judges the specialist. According to Richard de Visser, participating in this challenge can only be beneficial. “The first week or weekends can be difficult”he admits. “It’s like taking up sport, it can be difficult at first, but then the body gets used to it.”
If you need help or if you are worried about a member of your entourage, there is an anonymous listening service on 09 80 98 09 30 (from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., 7 days a week). Multiple information is also available on the site Alcool-info-service.fr.
