Can you give up drinking for 31 days?
Shropshire’s Safer Stronger Communities Partnership is encouraging people to take up next year’s ‘Dry January’ challenge, to stay alcohol-free for the whole of January 2014.
Organised by national charity Alcohol Concern, the Dry January campaign aims to highlight the benefits of cutting down on drink by challenging people to cut out alcohol for 31 days.
The charity is aiming to sign up at least 10,000 people for the 2014 challenge; and, as part of the campaign, the partnership is encouraging as many people to sign up, and get family and friends to sponsor them, to raise money for the national charity.
Nearly 3,000 people have already signed up to the campaign, and the money raised will help Alcohol Concern make a real difference to the lives of those harmed through alcohol misuse.
Karen Calder, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for health, said:
“With Christmas and New Year fast approaching, I’m sure many people will be busy making plans to celebrate the festive season with family and friends. So why not take this time to also think about New Year resolutions, and consider taking part in the Dry January Campaign? It’s an ideal start to the New Year, after the usual overindulgence through December.
“So get involved, either as an individual or as a group, and set yourself the challenge of giving up drink for a month. As well as supporting a very worthy cause, taking up the challenge will also help you save money, help you sleep better, give you more energy and could help you lose weight.”
For more information about signing up to the Dry January campaign, visit www.dryjanuary.org.uk. You can ask family and friends to sponsor your big challenge through Virgin Money Giving.
Once signed up, you’ll receive a range of information and top tips to keep you motivated and help you cut down. You will also be able to share your experience through twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Further information
Dry January follows on from Alcohol Awareness Week (18–24 November 2013), whereby people were asked to start thinking about alcohol consumption and how it affects us as individuals, families, communities and society. The awareness week also encouraged people to take part in the Dry January challenge.
Aquarius, the organisation that provides local services for people in Shropshire affected by alcohol misuse, is fully behind the campaign, and raised issues related to alcohol misuse during Alcohol Awareness Week.
Dry January is not a medical detox programme, and should not be undertaken by people with alcohol dependency issues. If you are worried about your, or someone else’s, alcohol use, please speak to your GP or contact Aquarius on 0300 45 64 299.
