"As New Year's Eve approached, I found myself mulling over something that in all my previous adult years would have been unthinkable: What if I didn't drink? Sure, I had a lovely bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge. But I'd already planned on having Dry(ish) January. Wouldn't it be great to wake up in 2026 fully rested and with a clear head?"
"My internal dialogue mirrors the growing number of Americans leaning into moderation. After everyone went a little overboard during the pandemic, more people in the U.S. are reassessing their drinking habits or, especially among younger generations, eschewing alcohol altogether. That reassessment has manifested in a sustained decline in alcohol consumption, as was underscored in a recent Gallup poll showing that just 54% of adults said they consume alcohol the lowest level in nearly 90 years."
"The annual event has given people cultural permission to pause, says Marisa M. Silveri, director of the Neurodevelopmental Laboratory on Addictions and Mental Health at McLean Hospital, in Massachusetts. That's a big deal. Both the sober curious movement and Dry January have really helped normalize not only pausing but also being able to evaluate your own drinking without labeling, without stigma without feeling bad about it, Silveri says."
An individual considered skipping alcohol and planned a Dry(ish) January to wake up fully rested in 2026. U.S. alcohol consumption has declined, with a Gallup poll showing just 54% of adults now report consuming alcohol, the lowest level in nearly 90 years. More people, especially younger generations, are reassessing or eschewing drinking after pandemic excess. Dry January and Sober October have given cultural permission to pause drinking and accelerated changing attitudes. Experts caution against attributing long-term shifts to a single trend, but harm-reduction framing enables health benefits from cutting back without complete abstinence.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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