Dry january challenge: “the goal is to question your relationship to alcohol”

Not a drop of alcohol in January: the “dry january”, or sober January, still lasts until the end of the month. “The idea is to hold out as long as possible and to question yourself when faced with the product”, explains this Monday morning the director of Addictions France in Vaucluse, Stéphanie Vassas, guest of France Bleu Vaucluse.

France Bleu Vaucluse: What exactly is this “dry january” for?

Stephanie Vassas: It’s really about experiencing something else. Normally, we are not supposed to drink alcohol, but for those who cannot make it through, consuming does not undermine the challenge. And it will especially allow us to ask certain questions. Some people will get there easily when others will discover that it can be difficult a month without alcohol, especially in festive occasions.

It is to wonder, to discover its relation to this product. And for the people who can do it, there are some pretty immediate benefits. Better quality of sleep, recovery of concentration, things that are not negligible in everyday life.

How many people are participating?

According to Public Health France, there would be less than two in ten people in France who participate. It is an operation which is nevertheless much less known than the month without tobacco. Me, I think that like any experiment, it can be useful. And indeed, we would benefit from this operation being widely known among young people, since adults who engage in this game may have less difficulty. For young people who often have a much more solid social life, it can be more complicated and it is at this age that the right questions must be asked, namely the social function of alcohol.

It may not be easy, but you also have to be the driving force behind it. And giving yourself the means to do a collective challenge with friends, that can be interesting, because there is the collective side and the challenge. Who knows who will hold out the longest, who will get there? So if an additional motivator.

If we take part and drink an aperitif once or twice during the month of January, is it okay?

It’s not serious. However, we must not give up. We can catch up the next day. The idea is to hold out as long as possible and to question yourself when faced with the product.

What is rational alcohol consumption?

There are standards. They say it’s 10 drinks a week maximum, but there must also be 10 days off in the week, that is to say completely alcohol-free. Problematic consumption is not just about quantity. These standards are more for the health impacts that it can have on the somatic side. Afterwards, we follow patients who are sick with alcohol, but not with phenomenal amounts either. It is really our consumption that must be questioned.

Can this challenge be indicative of an unhealthy relationship with alcohol for some?

Yes, there are some who realize it. Afterwards, between realizing it and coming to start a care process, there is still a gap. And we, at the end of this kind of operation, there are very few people who push open the door of a health center.

Today, the therapeutic option is really wide and I insist on it when before, the only solution was the famous cure. People can come on an outpatient basis to specialized care centers such as Addictions France, there are some all over the country to meet professionals dedicated to this issue.


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