Quarter of drinkers plan to reduce intake beyond Dry January – Alcohol Change UK
Around a quarter of drinkers intend to cut down on their alcohol consumption throughout 2024, new data from Alcohol Change UK has revealed.
The research, which was carried out by Opinium on behalf of Alcohol Change UK between November 21 – 24 2023, surveyed 2,000 adults, 28% of whom considered themselves non-drinkers.
Around 16% of respondents said they are planning on participating in Dry January, with a further 25% noting plans to reduce their alcohol intake beyond January. Based on these figures, Alcohol Change UK estimated that around 8.5 million adults in the UK are taking part in Dry January.
Amongst respondents who described themselves as heavy drinkers trying to cut back, 83% said having access to alcohol-free options was “important”, while 53% said it was “very important” or “essential”.
The research is set to be presented to MPs in Westminster today (January 16) at an event organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Harm as part of the government’s efforts to increase the availability of alcohol-free products.
Richard Piper, chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, said: “According to our research, one in five people drank more in 2023 than in the previous year. This was partly because people were socialising more, post-pandemic. But our findings also show that one in four of us want to reduce the amount of alcohol we drink this year.”
Emma Heal, managing director at Lucky Saint (the official beer of Dry January), added: “We’re seeing a rapid cultural shift in attitudes towards drinking…The great news about taking a break or moderating in January is it’ll have positive benefits across the year as people tend to keep it up.”
Written by Rachel Badham for DrinksRetailing
