Dry January will be especially difficult this year, thanks to coronavirus

Alcohol usage for many has increased during the pandemic but funding for treatment is declining. Those suffering with addiction need professional help, not a DIY attempt at abstinence, writes Ian Hamilton

There is not enough help for those who need it most (Getty/iStock)

If retail sales of alcohol are a barometer of how much we’re consuming, then 2020 was a very wet year. Backing this indicator up are a number of surveys carried out during the pandemic that revealed our drinking habits. Three distinct groups emerged, the abstainers, the moderates and then the heavy drinkers. 

The latter group, who were already drinking larger amounts prior to Covid, reported drinking more during the pandemic. In contrast, those drinking at low levels further reduced their intake during the year, meaning they had a dry pandemic.

Now a regular fixture, Dry January is the annual campaign promoted by Alcohol Change UK that challenges people to go without alcohol for a month. Four million of us took up the challenge last year, no doubt keen to redeem ourselves following the excesses of Christmas.