The campaign encourages people to give up alcohol entirely for one month in order to reflect on their drinking habits and raise awareness of the health risks associated with alcohol consumption.
Alcohol is one of the few legal drugs for which people sometimes feel they have to justify not consuming it. Yet according to the World Health Organisation, around 2.6 million people worldwide die each year from causes linked to alcohol use. Despite this, alcohol remains deeply embedded and widely normalised in society, says Dr Claude Besenius, psychotherapist and director of the Useldange Therapy Centre.
Dr Besenius also points out how easily excessive drinking can go unnoticed for a long time. “Alcohol is so normalised that, for many , the transition from what is considered ‘normal’ consumption to a real problem happens almost invisibly. It’s like an iceberg: for a long time everything seems fine, until suddenly the wider problem surfaces from below the waters and becomes visible – and by then it is much harder to recognise and address”.
Even a temporary break can bring noticeable physical and mental benefits, including better sleep, clearer skin, increased energy, improved concentration and mood, and reduced stress levels. Dry January was first launched in the UK in 2013 and is based on a simple idea: to consciously abstain from alcohol for a month in order to reassess personal drinking habits and experience the positive effects on the body.
In Luxembourg, the campaign is being rolled out for the first time by the Health Ministry’s Directorate of Health, the Fondation Cancer, the Addiction Prevention Centre, and the Useldange Therapy Centre. “This is not about banning or moralising, but about raising awareness and encouraging people to reflect on their own alcohol consumption”, explains Catherine Tomicic, coordinator of the national alcohol action plan:
“At the end of 2024, we carried out a small survey together with the Cancer Foundation. It consists of just three questions and allows us to assess whether consumption could be considered abusive. Among the participants, around 50% were identified as potentially at risk of problematic drinking”.
Alcohol-related harm affects not only physical health, but also social and psychological wellbeing. Quitting is not always easy, but participants can receive support through the Try Dry app, developed to accompany the campaign. The app allows users to track their progress day by day, monitor health improvements, and see how much money they save over the course of the month.
