But, for people who drink quite often, “research has shown that even a modest reduction in alcohol consumption can benefit health,” Dr. Laing says. For example, a March 2024 study published in JAMA Network Open found that heavy drinkers who cut back to more moderate levels of alcohol use had a 23% lower risk of heart problems than if they’d stuck to their previous levels of drinking. Similarly, in an August 2022 JAMA Network Open study, heavy drinkers had a lower risk of cancer when they scaled back to mild or moderate levels of alcohol use.
One important caveat here: If you’ve been drinking heavily for years, talk to your doctor before making any drastic changes to your alcohol use. “Stopping abruptly can lead to life-threatening withdrawal,” Dr. Koob says. Cutting back can be a safer approach, but the safest route is to develop a strategy with the help of a professional.
It can also make you a more mindful drinker.
“Anyone can benefit from examining their relationship with alcohol, whether that means stopping completely or just cutting back,” Dr. Koob says. “Reducing alcohol consumption without quitting entirely still provides opportunities to reflect on one’s alcohol use and make informed choices about whether to cut back further, quit, or return to previous drinking patterns at the end of the month.”
Changing up your drinking habits can also help you reassess why you drink in the first place and find some alternatives if that seems necessary, Dr. Koob adds. During a Damp January, you might need to rethink how you relax, have fun, cope with emotions, or even fall asleep, depending on how you’ve been using booze, he says. For example, if you’ve been using alcohol to self-medicate for anxiety in social situations, maybe Damp January will inspire you to seek out healthier coping mechanisms, like visiting with a therapist or starting a regular exercise routine, Dr. Dick says.
Ultimately, if you go dryish instead of fully dry, you’ll end up “paying closer attention to things like where, when, and why [you] drink,” Koob says, which can help you figure out what your approach will be in February and beyond.
How to do a Damp January
In keeping with the individualised approach, there are no hard-and-fast rules for a Damp January, Dick says. Instead, it’s all about figuring out what level of alcohol reduction feels appropriate and helpful for you. For some people, that might involve establishing a guideline like “I’m only going to have three drinks a week,” Dick says, or “I’m only going to drink three nights a week instead of six.” You could also try cutting back by one drink a week or one drinking night a week, seeing how that feels, and continuing to scale back from there.
You can also experiment with different types of beverages in the social situations where you’d usually sip your go-to Aperol spritz or dirty martini. “Try light-alcohol, non-alcoholic, or alcohol-free beverages,” Dr. Laing says. Many stores now sell a variety of low- or no-alcohol beers, wines, and mixed drinks. You can also lower the alcohol content of your wine at home by splashing in some sparkling water or kick back with kombucha, which only has tiny amounts of alcohol. You’ll likely even find NA options proudly displayed on bar and restaurant menus, and if not, “bartenders will often offer to make fancy mocktails upon request,” she says.
