SciTech Tries: ‘Dry January’

You’ve read about the science behind ‘Dry January’, but what happens when a student attempts a month of sobriety?

I have a confession to make. This isn’t a proper account of someone fully committing to ‘Dry January.’ I only remembered I was supposed to be doing ‘Dry January’ on the early evening of January 4, while sipping a healthy glass of merlot. To be fair to myself, the days at start of the new year were a blur of alcohol, overeating, and generally doing nothing else. I resolved to skip the first week and instead focus on not drinking for the remainder of January. People have cheat days all the time; I was definitely allowed a cheat week.

The first two days of term flashed by – I barely had time to even think about having a pint of something with chums. Despite the first week’s setback, I was feeling pretty confident. That was, until the Wednesday. There was a ‘final year survival lecture’ that, because it was run by the History Department, naturally was followed by a wine and nibbles social. As a poor student, I didn’t think twice when presented with the prospect of free wine. Realising what I had done, a couple of friends suggested going straight to the bus stop. The bus stop in Terrace Bar that is. It took us a while to get back home from there…

People have cheat days all the time; I was definitely allowed a cheat week

Needless to say, ‘Dry January’ was not going well for me. The next couple of days were fairly uneventful until Saturday night, where I found myself boat-racing vodka cokes in a friend’s kitchen. Luckily, on Sunday I was feeling so ill that even if it had been a life or death situation, I would not have been able to drink. Honestly, I blame the kebab.

As a busy finalist trying to prepare for the real world, I didn’t have much time to go out the next week. And bar a glass of wine or two with dinner, I didn’t drink a single drop. Even when I was tempted, my flatmates were all too quick to remind me I wasn’t drinking for a purpose and that I could really enjoy those drinks come February. Even though I haven’t had anything alcoholic for the last couple of weeks, I can see how hard it is to not drink as a student. Impending realities of adult life aside, it just feels like the thing done in many social outings. Of course, I don’t claim to speak for all students. I am sure many of you have much better resolve than I do.

I can see how hard it is to not drink as a student

Although there seems to be quantifiable evidence to support a decrease in drinking after ‘Dry January’, not many discuss the difficulties of lasting the whole month. Despite the obvious benefits of not reaching for that glass of wine for an extended period of time, the pressures of social drinking must be taken into account, especially at university.

However, not all hope is lost. Even if your attempt at ‘Dry January’ wasn’t as successful as you would’ve hoped – fear not, there are 11 more months left in this year. So, if the evidence has persuaded you to try it, don’t feel bad if you see no success – no one is perfect, and abstinence is a thirsty work.