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Dry January . . . seriously?

Dry January . . . seriously?
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  • Dry January . . . seriously?

    Post #1 - January 11th, 2025, 3:09 pm
    Post #1 - January 11th, 2025, 3:09 pm Post #1 - January 11th, 2025, 3:09 pm
    Other than being some sort of desperate, post-holiday marketing salvo, is there an actual point to it? Does anyone really abide or care?

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #2 - January 11th, 2025, 3:44 pm
    Post #2 - January 11th, 2025, 3:44 pm Post #2 - January 11th, 2025, 3:44 pm
    Not something I am interested (or probably capable of) doing, but I have several friends who do it so it is a real thing. Can't be a bad thing to do.

    -Will
  • Post #3 - January 11th, 2025, 4:41 pm
    Post #3 - January 11th, 2025, 4:41 pm Post #3 - January 11th, 2025, 4:41 pm
    I'm on my 10th year of practicing. First year I didn't have a choice (2016) I had so much stress in my life at the time, drinking gave me immediate headaches. It just happened to be January.

    Fortunately the headaches passed, but I found that I liked the rhythm of an annual cleanse. It's basically a form of diet after the over-indulgence of the holidays. Plus it gets my sleep back on track and it can't be bad to give the old liver a rest. And after the reset, I tend to be more mindful of my drinking habits and find greater appreciation for my preferred beverages.

    I hate January anyway, much prefer to save up my drinking points for back deck and grilling season.
  • Post #4 - January 11th, 2025, 6:19 pm
    Post #4 - January 11th, 2025, 6:19 pm Post #4 - January 11th, 2025, 6:19 pm
    I guess I'm atypical. I like to drink but I do it when I want to and have no problem refraining when I don't. I've never needed what feels like an artificial 'Madison Avenue' mandate to govern that behavior. So, when I see DJ mentioned (over and over again), I wonder who these people are that need -- or even appreciate -- such trite, insincere prodding.

    I don't think I've had a drink since NYE. I haven't intentionally avoided it or been tempted. It just hasn't come up.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #5 - January 14th, 2025, 10:07 am
    Post #5 - January 14th, 2025, 10:07 am Post #5 - January 14th, 2025, 10:07 am
    When I first saw this topic, I was wondering why LTH had a thread about the general lack of humidity in the winter months.

    Very surprising to hear about this no alcohol thing!
  • Post #6 - January 14th, 2025, 11:07 am
    Post #6 - January 14th, 2025, 11:07 am Post #6 - January 14th, 2025, 11:07 am
    I'm practicing a dry January. No showers all month. (Might need to go through a lot of deodorant, though.)
  • Post #7 - January 15th, 2025, 12:07 pm
    Post #7 - January 15th, 2025, 12:07 pm Post #7 - January 15th, 2025, 12:07 pm
    Our neighbor said she was gonna go dry for January and exercise more. She seems to be holding her vow to exercise more but as far as no drinking in January, I think she lasted until about the seventh or sixth.

    As far as my drinking goes, I haven’t had more than a sip here and a sip there in a while. Mainly because I’m taking prescription medicine and I don’t think it’s a good idea to mix.
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #8 - January 15th, 2025, 1:06 pm
    Post #8 - January 15th, 2025, 1:06 pm Post #8 - January 15th, 2025, 1:06 pm
    I don't understand the growing popularity of Dry January. Restaurants are still struggling to get back to some sort of normalcy after Covid. Promoting Dry January will definitely impact restaurants' sales which I'm assuming is the reason many restaurants are now offering mocktails. We actually try to support local restaurants more during the month of January to help with slower sales and keep them afloat.
  • Post #9 - January 15th, 2025, 1:48 pm
    Post #9 - January 15th, 2025, 1:48 pm Post #9 - January 15th, 2025, 1:48 pm
    Some article I read recently said that even a month break from alcohol can improve liver function. So there's that.

    I've also read articles about restaurants building up their no+alcohol recipes, saying they can charge "nearly as much." But often the reason I don't have alcohol with a meal is the expectation that $14 is the floor for the price of a drink now. I realize I'm not helping the restauranteurs with their bottom line, but to quote Alton Brown, "I'm just here for the food."
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #10 - January 15th, 2025, 4:20 pm
    Post #10 - January 15th, 2025, 4:20 pm Post #10 - January 15th, 2025, 4:20 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Other than being some sort of desperate, post-holiday marketing salvo, is there an actual point to it? Does anyone really abide or care?

    So much for not yucking somebody's yum. :lol:

    I have had friends doing Dry January before it became this huge thing. It is a good way to reset after the excess of the holidays. For some, it helps recalibrate their relationship with alcohol. None of this seems like a bad thing. Though not going completely dry this month, I am being more conscious about what/when/how much I'm drinking.
    -Mary
  • Post #11 - January 15th, 2025, 4:42 pm
    Post #11 - January 15th, 2025, 4:42 pm Post #11 - January 15th, 2025, 4:42 pm
    The GP wrote:
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Other than being some sort of desperate, post-holiday marketing salvo, is there an actual point to it? Does anyone really abide or care?

    So much for not yucking somebody's yum. :lol:

    I have had friends doing Dry January before it became this huge thing. It is a good way to reset after the excess of the holidays. For some, it helps recalibrate their relationship with alcohol. None of this seems like a bad thing. Though not going completely dry this month, I am being more conscious about what/when/how much I'm drinking.


    Agree. And bars & restaurants programming for it is a way for them to salvage some business when folks might otherwise be staying home. Seems pretty logical to me.
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #12 - January 15th, 2025, 5:02 pm
    Post #12 - January 15th, 2025, 5:02 pm Post #12 - January 15th, 2025, 5:02 pm
    The GP wrote:
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Other than being some sort of desperate, post-holiday marketing salvo, is there an actual point to it? Does anyone really abide or care?

    So much for not yucking somebody's yum. :lol:

    .


    Well played.

    Aware of the dry January. Respect whatever folks want to do. Some at my local are going dry February for some reason. lol. Frickin living south of i80.
  • Post #13 - January 15th, 2025, 5:17 pm
    Post #13 - January 15th, 2025, 5:17 pm Post #13 - January 15th, 2025, 5:17 pm
    boudreaulicious wrote:
    The GP wrote:
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Other than being some sort of desperate, post-holiday marketing salvo, is there an actual point to it? Does anyone really abide or care?

    So much for not yucking somebody's yum. :lol:

    I have had friends doing Dry January before it became this huge thing. It is a good way to reset after the excess of the holidays. For some, it helps recalibrate their relationship with alcohol. None of this seems like a bad thing. Though not going completely dry this month, I am being more conscious about what/when/how much I'm drinking.


    Agree. And bars & restaurants programming for it is a way for them to salvage some business when folks might otherwise be staying home. Seems pretty logical to me.

    I'm going to just go ahead and disagree. I think this hurts places more than it helps them, as it mainly acts as an incentive for people to not go out. I just don't believe that most people who normally drink when they go out say "let's go out but not drink." I don't think that's a thing. I think they mainly do what they usually do, or they stay home. In fact, it was a preponderance of desperate 'free shipping in January' emails from various liquor outlets that, in part, prompted me to start this thread. I think they're hurting or they wouldn't be offering such incentives.

    Another reason I started this thread is because it's sad (at least to me) that people willingly adjust any of their behavior because some marketing wonk who genuinely cares nothing about them suggested they should, but maybe that's naive of me. That's the nature of advertising, after all.

    Separately, as for liver preservation, if one needs dry January (or any mandated dry period of time) to help with that, I think their problems may be bigger than a kitschy marketing campaign can help fix.

    Though it wasn't my intention, I don't mind yucking on someone's yum, especially in a case like this. I just don't understand the 'sheeple' mentality that powers DJ. As long as it doesn't actively hurt others, I'm always going to think for myself, and act accordingly. I'll never feel bad about that. To me, Dry January is just another bullshit marketing campaign. The only reason I stopped ignoring it was to deride it.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #14 - January 16th, 2025, 11:37 am
    Post #14 - January 16th, 2025, 11:37 am Post #14 - January 16th, 2025, 11:37 am
    I can't say I've ever taken part in dry January even though it might benefit me (both my wife and my birthday's are this month which makes it a bit harder). I do understand the general concept of sort of resetting after the holiday season and don't think it's much different than other New Year's resolutions.

    One thing I'm confused about is the idea of it being a marketing gimmick. What is dry January trying to sell? I think most people who partake just drink more water/soda/juice whatever to fill the void. I understand it might not be great for bars and restaurants (though as other pointed out, it seems to bring out the mocktail mixologists), but I'm not sure it's a concerted effort to benefit something else. While I would guess that these are also things you wouldn't subscribe to, I'm not sure how dry January is much different than various diets (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, keto, etc) which would have impact on restaurants or even Lent, which could impact people's dietary choices.

    Anyway, not something I'm particularly passionate about but was curious to see who is getting rich off of dry January.
  • Post #15 - January 16th, 2025, 4:06 pm
    Post #15 - January 16th, 2025, 4:06 pm Post #15 - January 16th, 2025, 4:06 pm
    Wow.

    Alcohol is a serious health problem in this country. Certainly many ( most / majority / large majority ?? ) have no issues and can take or leave alcohol as they choose. Anyone not in that category needs to do their best to moderate.

    I cannot understand anyone who denigrates any effort to limit alcohol intake.
  • Post #16 - January 16th, 2025, 4:29 pm
    Post #16 - January 16th, 2025, 4:29 pm Post #16 - January 16th, 2025, 4:29 pm
    lougord99 wrote:Wow.

    Alcohol is a serious health problem in this country. Certainly many ( most / majority / large majority ?? ) have no issues and can take or leave alcohol as they choose. Anyone not in that category needs to do their best to moderate.

    I cannot understand anyone who denigrates any effort to limit alcohol intake.

    Yeah, I'm a terrible fucking person, lol. :lol:

    Again, if one has a serious issue with alcohol, Dry January isn't going to help.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #17 - January 16th, 2025, 4:46 pm
    Post #17 - January 16th, 2025, 4:46 pm Post #17 - January 16th, 2025, 4:46 pm
    I get Ronnie's skepticism about the me-too aspect of Dry January, but as someone who spent 30 long days at bad-behavior camp eight years ago, I'm supportive of anyone who chooses to cut back, even for click-bait on a TikTok thread. I'm not opposed to drinking at all - I miss it - and I'm sorry if restaurants lose some revenue from people giving their livers a respite. But be mindful that not everyone has a healthy relationship with booze, and if something like Dry January makes them rethink or readjust that relationship, I don't think that's a bad thing in any way.
  • Post #18 - January 16th, 2025, 4:47 pm
    Post #18 - January 16th, 2025, 4:47 pm Post #18 - January 16th, 2025, 4:47 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:
    lougord99 wrote:Wow.

    Alcohol is a serious health problem in this country. Certainly many ( most / majority / large majority ?? ) have no issues and can take or leave alcohol as they choose. Anyone not in that category needs to do their best to moderate.

    I cannot understand anyone who denigrates any effort to limit alcohol intake.

    Yeah, I'm a terrible fucking person, lol. :lol:

    Again, if one has a serious issue with alcohol, Dry January isn't going to help.

    =R=


    That’s actually not true. One day at a time is actually one of the principal tenants of AA. And I’m guessing“dry January” has helped more than a few folks start their first day.

    It’s also not necessarily about quitting drinking—just committing to a month to reset and focus on other things besides imbibing. I’ve done it and thought it was beneficial and was surprised by the difference in how I felt.

    If you don’t want to do it or think it wouldn’t be worthwhile for you, that’s completely your prerogative. But your responses seem much harsher than necessary—just my perspective.
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #19 - January 16th, 2025, 5:10 pm
    Post #19 - January 16th, 2025, 5:10 pm Post #19 - January 16th, 2025, 5:10 pm
    boudreaulicious wrote:That’s actually not true. One day at a time is actually one of the principal tenants of AA. And I’m guessing“dry January” has helped more than a few folks start their first day.

    It’s also not necessarily about quitting drinking—just committing to a month to reset and focus on other things besides imbibing. I’ve done it and thought it was beneficial and was surprised by the difference in how I felt.

    If you don’t want to do it or think it wouldn’t be worthwhile for you, that’s completely your prerogative. But your responses seem much harsher than necessary—just my perspective.

    I had no idea I would stir up such shit by casually venting about stupid, useless Dry January. If you feel it really makes a difference in peoples' lives, please don't let me disavow you of that belief. If I cared more about it (or at all) I'd ask you to present some data, or even a single example . . . but I don't.

    I'm unlikely to ever think of Dry January in a favorable light. It just tries a bit too hard to be something genuine but it's just an Advertising-world concoction intended to manipulate peoples' spending behavior.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #20 - January 16th, 2025, 5:16 pm
    Post #20 - January 16th, 2025, 5:16 pm Post #20 - January 16th, 2025, 5:16 pm
    nr706 wrote:I'm practicing a dry January. No showers all month. (Might need to go through a lot of deodorant, though.)

    I noticed that at Sunday’s dinner. :D
    Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard
  • Post #21 - January 16th, 2025, 7:14 pm
    Post #21 - January 16th, 2025, 7:14 pm Post #21 - January 16th, 2025, 7:14 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:I had no idea I would stir up such shit by casually venting about stupid, useless Dry January. If you feel it really makes a difference in peoples' lives, please don't let me disavow you of that belief. If I cared more about it (or at all) I'd ask you to present some data, or even a single example . . . but I don't.

    I'm unlikely to ever think of Dry January in a favorable light. It just tries a bit too hard to be something genuine but it's just an Advertising-world concoction intended to manipulate peoples' spending behavior.

    =R=

    Let us agree to strongly disagree on this subject and move forward in our mutual love of cooking.
  • Post #22 - January 16th, 2025, 7:32 pm
    Post #22 - January 16th, 2025, 7:32 pm Post #22 - January 16th, 2025, 7:32 pm
    lougord99 wrote:
    ronnie_suburban wrote:I had no idea I would stir up such shit by casually venting about stupid, useless Dry January. If you feel it really makes a difference in peoples' lives, please don't let me disavow you of that belief. If I cared more about it (or at all) I'd ask you to present some data, or even a single example . . . but I don't.

    I'm unlikely to ever think of Dry January in a favorable light. It just tries a bit too hard to be something genuine but it's just an Advertising-world concoction intended to manipulate peoples' spending behavior.

    =R=

    Let us agree to strongly disagree on this subject and move forward in our mutual love of cooking.

    Yeah. I'm mainly being argumentative for sport (and because I hate feeling manipulated). But I'm trying to treat this discussion as if we were sitting together at a table somewhere. That's why I've only replied tersely to those of you I consider friends. Something definitely got lost in translation.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #23 - January 16th, 2025, 9:48 pm
    Post #23 - January 16th, 2025, 9:48 pm Post #23 - January 16th, 2025, 9:48 pm
    Dry January may be a very useful framework for avoiding social pressure to drink. Many posting here are, I suspect, on the more mature end of life's spectrum and able to confidently assert their preferences for drinking or not. But younger folks, or more malleable ones, may need the sort of peer pressure escape hatch that Dry January provides. Unfortunately, they're back on their own once the shortest month arrives.

    And on mocktails: Come on, what's with charging the same or more for lower costs (remember, there's no alcohol tax if there's no alcohol.) Anybody up for some $10 alcohol-free vodka shots? Or a bourbon-free bourbon & branch?
  • Post #24 - January 17th, 2025, 11:15 am
    Post #24 - January 17th, 2025, 11:15 am Post #24 - January 17th, 2025, 11:15 am
    Dry January Just The Beginning For A Growing Number Of Chicagoans

    blockclubchicago wrote:A quarter of Americans 21 and over participated in Dry January last year, which surpasses the 16 percent who avoided alcohol during Dry January 2023, according to 2024 tracking by CivicScience. And about 49 percent of millennials and 61 percent of Gen Z tried to drink less in 2024, according to a survey last year by research firm NC Solutions.

    Nothing here about if Dry January actually has any lasting effects at all, though the piece does its best to imply it.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #25 - January 17th, 2025, 5:15 pm
    Post #25 - January 17th, 2025, 5:15 pm Post #25 - January 17th, 2025, 5:15 pm
    Though the timing seems more than coincidental, this piece from January 15th's NYT makes no mention of Dry January. It does, however, take a look at some different, more sustainable approaches for cutting back on alcohol consumption . . .

    Not Drunk, Not Dry: What It Means to Be ‘Soberish’
    (free, gift link)


    at nytimes.com, Emily Schmall wrote:Conscious of the health risks of alcohol, more people are experimenting with cutting back on drinking.

    One day last year, Christine Mosley woke up with the kind of hangover that inspires self-reckoning. That day, she decided she would never drink again.

    A few days later, Ms. Mosley, 31, found herself with a cocktail in hand. For her at least, she said, “it’s really not that simple.”

    More recently, Ms. Mosley, a business marketing manager in San Francisco, has tried to be not fully sober, but “soberish,” by reducing her alcohol consumption and paying closer attention to its effects on her mood and health.

    “I want to emphasize the ‘-ish’ part — not to be dry but to increase the number of dry days,” she said.

    The designation, sometimes also referred to as “sober curious,” has caught on in the United States and elsewhere as the health risks of alcohol become better understood. “Soberish” can mean drinking more mindfully, drinking less or avoiding alcohol altogether but not other drugs. At parties, people often reach for seltzers and nonalcoholic beers, and more people are using apps that help them track and reduce their alcohol intake.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #26 - January 17th, 2025, 8:44 pm
    Post #26 - January 17th, 2025, 8:44 pm Post #26 - January 17th, 2025, 8:44 pm
    I don't dispute at all the potential benefits of reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption as much or as frequently as one feels would be beneficial for oneself. But I do get a bit of the same feeling as Ronnie about Dry January --- specifically (in my opinion), that it is a fairly recent and big thing with the Tik Tok influencer crowd.

    As the St. Louis Riverfront Times put it, "It's a good thing to do, and it costs nothing to participate—so naturally, influencers have found a way to monetize it." This New York Times opinion piece ("Dry January Is Driving Me to Drink") supports the notion that there is some pushback against the social media influencing aspect of dry January.

    Statistics show that Dry January in the US is most popular with those 18-29 years old and that its popularity decreases from there with increasing age.

    I think tjr makes a very astute point here:
    Dry January may be a very useful framework for avoiding social pressure to drink. Many posting here are, I suspect, on the more mature end of life's spectrum and able to confidently assert their preferences for drinking or not. But younger folks, or more malleable ones, may need the sort of peer pressure escape hatch that Dry January provides. Unfortunately, they're back on their own once the shortest month arrives.
    "Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
  • Post #27 - January 17th, 2025, 9:19 pm
    Post #27 - January 17th, 2025, 9:19 pm Post #27 - January 17th, 2025, 9:19 pm
    p.s., Since I have to accept being there, I do like the idea of thinking of where I am as
    on the more mature end of life's spectrum
    :lol:
    "Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
  • Post #28 - January 18th, 2025, 12:44 am
    Post #28 - January 18th, 2025, 12:44 am Post #28 - January 18th, 2025, 12:44 am
    The Evanston Public Library has a dry January support group that is meeting every Wednesday this month.
  • Post #29 - January 18th, 2025, 1:37 am
    Post #29 - January 18th, 2025, 1:37 am Post #29 - January 18th, 2025, 1:37 am
    Katie wrote:As the St. Louis Riverfront Times put it, "It's a good thing to do, and it costs nothing to participate—so naturally, influencers have found a way to monetize it."
    No good idea goes unmonetized.

    Good article/editorial...does anyone really need a soberish app? Or has New Math rendered the younger crowd unable to count to one?
  • Post #30 - January 20th, 2025, 10:53 am
    Post #30 - January 20th, 2025, 10:53 am Post #30 - January 20th, 2025, 10:53 am
    Katie wrote:I don't dispute at all the potential benefits of reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption as much or as frequently as one feels would be beneficial for oneself. But I do get a bit of the same feeling as Ronnie about Dry January --- specifically (in my opinion), that it is a fairly recent and big thing with the Tik Tok influencer crowd.

    As the St. Louis Riverfront Times put it, "It's a good thing to do, and it costs nothing to participate—so naturally, influencers have found a way to monetize it." This New York Times opinion piece ("Dry January Is Driving Me to Drink") supports the notion that there is some pushback against the social media influencing aspect of dry January.

    Statistics show that Dry January in the US is most popular with those 18-29 years old and that its popularity decreases from there with increasing age.

    I think tjr makes a very astute point here:
    Dry January may be a very useful framework for avoiding social pressure to drink. Many posting here are, I suspect, on the more mature end of life's spectrum and able to confidently assert their preferences for drinking or not. But younger folks, or more malleable ones, may need the sort of peer pressure escape hatch that Dry January provides. Unfortunately, they're back on their own once the shortest month arrives.

    The NYT piece is a good one, too. Tressie Cottom is probably one of my favorite opinion writers around right now.

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