Dry January 2026

If you have not tried it before, Dry January is a month dedicated to not drinking. Dry January started in 2013 with the goal of reducing harm caused by alcohol. We invite you to try it and let us know how it goes for you!

There is good news! Drinking alcohol in the US is at an all-time low—just 54% of adults. Rich older Republican white men drink the most. And non-white, poor young women drink the least. Why the downward drinking trend in national polls?

• Awareness that alcohol is bad

• Younger generation not drinking as much

• New campaigns and social media that normalize non-drinking

• And more…

I am still looking for a good bottle of alcohol free champagne… after nearly 5 years without alcohol (except the occasional gulp with communion wine). I am walking the red road. Are you?

As I look at the data, our world, and the treatment outcomes of the programs we evaluate… I am looking for evidence of the Gallup poll's validity. Alcohol is still the number one reason people enter treatment programs.

Enter Marijuana

Americans may be swapping alcohol for marijuana.

The 2024 Gallup Report shows marijuana use has doubled since 2013, and unlike alcohol, it's young, non-white poor Democrats who use marijuana the most. Dry January is an opportunity to ditch alcohol, marijuana, and other substances.

Americans Are Still Unwell

Getting sober can bring into focus what is keeping Americans addicted and unwell.

• 10% of Americans live in poverty

• 1 in 3 adults cannot access adequate healthcare 

• 48% of Americans are suffering or below thriving 

• Obesity is down - 12% of Americans use GLP -1 drugs. Researchers think these drugs can address addiction issues while improving obesity and more. I am still waiting for the longitudinal studies that show the long-term effects.

• 49,316 people died in the US by suicide in 2023. This is too many. Suicide rates have increased over the last decade. Men are four times more likely than women. AIAN men have the highest rates- Montana leads.

• 18% of adults report depression, and 27% of young / under 30 lower-income adults report depression- a number that sharply increased since 2015. Loneliness kills- 21% of adults experience it. Social media use increases feelings of loneliness and anxiety. Mental health ratings have declined for the first time in decades.

Where is the good?

• Declines in alcohol use

• Increased access to mental health resources and services

• Improved tracking and reporting of health behaviors

• Research points to the underlying causes of problems.

An elder told me to understand something fully… We must take a step back, then another, and another… until we get far enough away from the problem to see it for what it is. They were talking about the loss of language and Caddo identity. But this also applies to Dry January, Finding Good, and Complete Sobriety.

This Dry January…

Sober up

Examine your life

Your relationships

Your wellbeing

Take a step back

And another step back

And another

Get far enough away

To see your life

And your choices

And your consequences

This stepping back and clarity can come this Dry January

Aim for Complete Sobriety

• Mental and Emotional sobriety- Practice mindfulness, follow your thoughts. Are you Hungry, Angry, lonely, Tired?

• Physical sobriety- Try life without alcohol, drugs, or other harmful substances

• Spiritual sobriety - Pray, seek a power higher than yourself

And as I step back from my own understanding of what sobriety is, I can see with clarity that the only possible way forward is love.

Love yourself

Love others

Love dry January

Love sobriety

Love it all

Because love is all there is.

AK