3.1 MILLION PLAN TO STAY OFF THE BOOZE FOR A MONTH

More than three million people across the UK are planning to go a month without drinking alcohol, new figures have revealed.

A YouGov poll, commissioned by charity Alcohol Concern, showed that 3.1 million in the UK are planning to do Dry January in 2018.

They will ditch the booze for one month to feel healthier, save money and re-set their relationship with alcohol.

The poll of 2,086 participants showed up some other interesting trends:

The group most likely be planning to do Dry January this year are those with children aged 12-16, as well as those with three or more children in their household (11%);

Those aged 35-54 were most likely to be planning to do Dry January (7%);

Northern Ireland is the area of the UK where people are most likely to be planning to do Dry January (10%), closely followed by the North East (8%);

Those working full-time are more likely to do Dry January (7%) than those who do not work, who are working part-time, full-time students or retired;

People who have tried Dry January in the past are more likely to want to sign up for support, suggesting a higher proportion see its value compared to people who have not previously attempted Dry January.

Dr Richard Piper, CEO of Alcohol Concern, said: “Dry January is a national campaign which changes lives, giving people the impetus and support they need to re-set their relationship with alcohol for January and beyond.

“The benefits are astounding: 49% of people lose weight, while 62% sleep better and a whopping 79% save money. Alcohol is the biggest cause of death, ill-health and disability for people aged 15-49 in the UK – but these tragedies are all totally avoidable.

“Dry January is growing year-onyear as more people across the country decide to take control of their drinking and reap the benefits, both in how they feel now and for their future health.”