By Peyton Majors
Christian Action League
January 5, 2024
With the U.S. public growing increasingly critical of moderate drinking, a pro-family leader says “Dry January” is an ideal time for Americans who consume alcohol to consider the health benefits of abstaining.
Dry January launched in the United Kingdom in 2013 but has since spread worldwide as a way for individuals to launch a new year with better health habits. Alcohol Change UK, the organization behind Dry January, say total abstinence can lead to better sleep and improved physical and mental health.
A 2023 Gallup survey found that 39 percent of Americans — a record high — believe drinking in moderation is bad for one’s health. Adults ages 18-34 have led the change in views, with 52 percent saying moderation is bad, an increase from 34 percent in 2018. All age groups, though, saw a shift upward in skepticism about alcohol.
Gallup noted that the shift in opinion “comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its dietary guidelines for alcohol intake” and the “World Health Organization published research showing that no level of alcohol is safe for one’s health.”
A total of 62 percent of U.S. adults say they drink alcohol, while 38 percent abstain completely, according to Gallup.
WebMd says total abstinence has many benefits, such as:
— It can benefit your heart. “Cutting back or quitting may lower your blood pressure, levels of fat called triglycerides, and chances of heart failure,” WebMd says.
— It can heal your liver. “Alcohol is toxic to your cells. Heavy drinking — at least 15 drinks for men and eight or more for women a week — can take a toll on the organ and lead to fatty liver, cirrhosis, and other problems. The good news: your liver can repair itself and even regenerate. So it’s always worth drinking less or quitting.”
— It can help you lose weight. “A glass of regular beer has about 150 calories, and a serving of wine has about 120. On top of those mostly empty calories, alcohol ramps up your appetite. It also makes you more impulsive, and less able to resist the fries and other temptations on the menu. So when you stay away from alcohol, the number on your scale may well start moving down,” WebMD says.
— It can lower your cancer risk. “It’s clear that alcohol, and heavy drinking in particular, can up your chances of several types of cancers, including in your esophagus (food pipe), mouth, throat, and breast.”
— It can help you sleep better. “Alcohol might get you drowsy at first. But once you fall into slumber, it can wake you up repeatedly in the night. Plus, it disrupts the important REM stage of sleep and may interfere with your breathing.”
— It can keep you from getting sick. “Even just one bout of drinking too much may weaken your body’s germ-fighting power for up to 24 hours,” WebMD says. “Over time, large amounts of alcohol blunt your immune system and your body’s ability to repair itself. Ease up on drinking so you may better ward off illnesses.”
— It can lower your blood pressure. “If you drink a lot and your blood pressure is too high, you might be able to bring your numbers back down to normal by doing one simple thing: giving up alcohol. Even simply easing back on drinks can have a big payoff.”
Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, says January is a good time to stop drinking altogether.
“I once came across a poignant story about a Scottish fisherman who, for years, squandered his hard-earned income on excessive drinking, becoming notorious for his habits,” Creech said. “One fateful evening, he stumbled into a bar he had never visited before, and to his surprise, he noticed a picture of Christ hanging on the wall. He couldn’t help but wonder why such a sacred image would be displayed in such a place.
“However, the sight of Christ’s image had a profound and sobering impact on him. He turned to the bar’s manager and implored, ‘Please sell me that picture; this is no place for the Savior.’ The compassionate manager agreed to part with the picture, accepting every last penny from the fisherman’s pocket.
“With the cherished image in his possession, the fisherman returned home, fell to his knees, and prayed fervently: ‘Lord Jesus, please lift me out of my sinful ways.’ Miraculously, his life began to transform. He went on to become a prominent Christian worker in his hometown, and when asked whether it had been a formidable struggle to forsake his drinking habit, his face would illuminate with joy as he replied, ‘When a Savior as profound as Jesus enters one’s heart, the allure of alcohol loses its grip.’”
Too many North Carolinians and Americans, Creech said, are hostages to alcohol.
“I firmly believe that, for many individuals embarking on Dry January or seeking to break free from the clutches of alcohol, the first step is to acknowledge, both to themselves and to God, that alcohol holds sway over their lives,” Creech said. “Just as Christ intervened in the life of that Scottish fisherman, He stands ready to do the same for anyone who calls upon Him. It is, indeed, the most powerful way to commence this journey — by calling on Christ. “In Mark 8, Jesus declared, ‘Having eyes, ye see not.’ I urge you to beseech God to open your eyes, to grant you the vision to perceive what may be concealed or what you might be reluctant to acknowledge regarding alcohol’s influence in your life.”