Dry January Starting to Get Its Feet Wet in Canada

Campaign raises money for charity while changing drinking habits

Patrons line up to get into a Mississauga LCBO outlet as others leave after stocking up on their New Year’s Eve beverages on Dec. 31, 2007. One of Canada’s first Dry January campaigns took place this year as a way to raise money for the Canadian Diabetes Association while balancing out holiday indulgence. The Canadian Press/J.P. Moczulski

Dry January, a month-long alcohol-free campaign popular in the United Kingdom, is just beginning to get its feet wet in Canada.

The pledge to stay sober for January started as a campaign by Alcohol Concern, a U.K. charity aimed at changing the drinking culture there. It has since exploded in popularity, and the organization launched a partnership with Public Health England last year.

At least 40,000 people officially signed up this year for Dry January, and 50,000 joined a similar campaign, “Dryathlon,” put on by Cancer Research UK. It is thought that many more are taking up the challenge to go sober unofficially.

Taking a month off from drinking corresponds to working out more, eating better, being healthier.

— Dry January organizer Gus Klemos