Quit alcohol for a month after Christmas, health experts urge

 
Dry January: Experts urged restraint after Christmas
Lizzie Edmonds @lizzieedmo19 December 2014

Experts are urging drinkers to give up alcohol for a month following an over-indulgent Christmas.

Chief Medical Officer for England Dame Sally Davies has suggested people sober up with a “dry January” - adding figures suggest taking a temporary break from alcohol can help drinkers cut down in the long-run.

Last year, 17,000 people took part in Alcohol Concern’s dry January campaign. It’s chief executive Jackie Ballard told The Times: “Take a month off - you’ll find at the end of that month you’ve saved money, you feel healthier, you feel more energetic, you have probably lost weight and you can change your relationship with alcohol.

“It’s not about never drinking again, it’s about giving people the opportunity to rethink their relationship with alcohol.”

Today has been dubbed “The Black Friday of Booze.” Figures suggest twice as much alcohol will be bought this evening than on a normal Friday.

Emergency services across the country have been put on high alert to reflect the number of people out drinking tonight.

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