Dry January is lifeless as fewer than one-in-five participate in no-booze problem
Despite the initiative being backed by health chiefs, there has been a huge slump in those taking part in Dry January, figures show.
Experts surveyed how many people are taking part in Dry January(Image: Getty)
Boozy Brits have killed Dry January.
Experts say fewer than one-in-five of us took part in the anti-drinking drive this year. Those polled claimed they were ditching Dry Jan in favour of cutting back their booze consumption gradually throughout 2026.
Only 6% of participants in a study by product insight experts Vypr said they regularly took part in the annual no-drinking challenge. Despite the results of the study, Adam Simpson – drinks expert at Vypr – said there was still an overall drive towards cutting out alcohol. He added: “The downward trend of alcohol consumption shows no signs of waning.
“There is still around a third of the UK who enjoy alcohol and don’t have any intention of quitting but there is a large proportion who are cutting down. This shows a huge market for alcohol free alternatives with functional ingredients such as CBD and mushrooms which help to relax people creating a similar feel to an alcoholic drink with none of the health risks.”
The study showed 29% of adults currently view drinking alcohol in moderation as more of a “year-round” habit. It comes as a separate study showed fewer than one in nine Scots are staying off the booze this month – making them the least likely in Britain to complete Dry January.
Only 12% of the population north of the border will have swerved alcohol for the month, compared to an average of 22% across Britain, a poll for Simply Business showed. It also found those in North West England were most likely to stop drinking – at 27%.
Only one in five residents in Yorkshire and Humber were inclined to abstain.
The first reported Dry January was in 2008 by Italian-American businessman Frank Posillico in Huntington, New York who coined the phrase when he lost weight following a period of abstinence.
The term was first formalised in 2013 by Alcohol Change UK, then operating under the name Alcohol Concern and it even became a registered trademark with charity in 2014. In its first year, 4,000 people signed up for the challenge but became more popular after it was endorsed by the former Public Health England in 2015.
By 2024, around 215,000 people globally signed up to take part. Studies now show only around 5% of people believe taking part in the challenge will help them give up alcohol in the long term.
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