North East drinkers urged to give up alcohol for Dry January

One in seven North East adults is planning to give up alcohol during January, according to a survey.

The findings have been released by the charity Alcohol Change UK at the start of its Dry January initiative.

The annual event has been running for a decade.

It encourages people to avoid alcohol for the first month of the year after the indulgences of Christmas and New Year's Eve.

The Alcohol Change UK survey also indicates that a growing number of people in our region are keen to cut the amount of alcohol they drink throughout the year.

Of those who took part in the study, three in ten said they would like to reduce the amount they drink: a higher figure than twelve months ago.

Here in the North East, the regional organisation Balance encourages people to reduce their alcohol consumption and is supporting Dry January.

Its Head of Alcohol Policy, Susan Taylor, said the initiative can bring a range of benefits, including losing weight, enabling better sleep and protecting long term health.

She said: “It can be hard to break drinking habits but millions of people around the country will be doing Dry January and hoping to feel the benefits.

“We know that alcohol causes seven types of cancer and raises the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke."

She continued: "It also sets a pattern which can make us feel more tired, depressed and sluggish."

North East councils are also supporting Dry January, emphasising the potential financial benefits at a time when many household budgets are being stretched.

Councillor Karen Kilgour from Newcastle City Council said: "People often find they lose weight when they stop drinking, their blood pressure lowers, they sleep better and feel better, and critically during this cost of living crisis, it can save you money."

An app is available to support people embarking on Dry January via the Alcohol Change UK website.

Balance warns that for people dependent on alcohol, stopping drinking in a sudden way can be dangerous and even life threatening.

It advises that anyone who experiences symptoms after drinking such as seizures, hand tremors, sweating or hallucinations should not stop completely.

Instead, the advice is to talk to your GP about ways to give up safely.