Dry January: Why more people are taking a break from alcohol, with Richard de Visser, PhD

Speaking of Psychology

Kim Mills

Health & Fitness, Life Sciences, Science, Mental Health

4.3 • 781 Ratings

🗓️ 8 January 2025

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called to add cancer warnings to alcohol labels. For many people, “Dry January” offers a chance try out a low- or no-alcohol life. Health psychologist Richard de Visser, PhD, talks about what’s driving public interest in Dry January and other “sober curious” trends; how temporarily giving up drinking can affect your mental and physical health; and how to succeed if you’d like to give Dry January a try. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:30.5	It's January, and for some people, that means the start of a month with no alcohol.
0:36.0	Dry January, which began in the UK in 2013,
0:39.6	has become increasingly popular in recent years. The trend may reflect a broader surge of interest
0:45.6	in living a low or no alcohol life. Sales of non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits increased
0:51.9	more than 40% between 2021 and 2023. And fancy mocktails and
0:57.1	non-alcoholic beers are an increasingly common site on bar and restaurant menus in the U.S.
1:03.1	So what's driving this cultural moment? Why are so many people interested in cutting back their
1:08.1	alcohol use or giving it up entirely? And what are the effects on people's physical and mental health?
1:14.0	Does taking part in Dry January tend to change people's drinking habits for the long term,
1:18.5	or is it just a temporary change?
1:20.5	And if you'd like to give Dry January a try, what advice do psychologists have to help you succeed?
1:27.0	Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast
1:30.3	of the American Psychological Association that examines the links between psychological science and everyday life.
1:36.3	I'm Kim Mills. My guest today is Dr. Richard DeViscer, a professor of health psychology at Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the UK.
1:47.5	His research interests span a range of topics in health psychology, including sexuality and relationships, gender and health, and alcohol use.
1:55.9	Since 2013, he's been working with the group Alcohol Change UK, which originated the dry January campaign
2:02.2	to study the effects of taking a voluntary, temporary break from alcohol. He's the author of
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