Hartlepool – join the millions and go dry this January
BALANCE, the North East Alcohol Office, is challenging people in Hartlepool to start the New Year with a clear head by ditching booze for a month.
Alcohol Concern’s Dry January campaign, regionally partnered by Balance, is calling on drinkers to take a break and give up alcohol in January.
Hartlepool – can you go dry for January?
Now in its fifth year, Dry January aims to get people thinking and talking about their relationship with alcohol by abstaining for a month. It’s hoped the benefits of the experience will encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles during the rest of the year.
For the last three years, the North East has led the way in terms of numbers of Dry January sign ups, with the highest proportion of people taking up the challenge, compared to any other region in the country. It’s estimated that around two million people nationally attempted the challenge last year, with around 70,000 of these coming from the North East.
Louise Wallace, Director of Public Health at Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “We all enjoy a celebration but people can get carried away and drink too much over Christmas and into the New Year, and that does harm their health.
“By taking a rest from alcohol throughout January, people will start to feel a benefit to their health. They’ll be able to get a clearer perspective on the amount of alcohol they have been consuming and we hope they will adjust their drinking habits accordingly.”
Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council and chair of the town’s Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “A month off alcohol can make a real difference – just some of the benefits people have experienced are weight loss, more energy and clearer skin.
“The stats also show that most people drink less alcohol even after the month of January is over.”
To sign up to Dry January, find out more about the campaign and to access a wealth of support and advice, visit the Dry January website at www.dryjanuary.org.uk
