Dry January: 110,000 to give up booze this month in the Black Country and Staffordshire

Around one in ten drinkers in the UK are planning to start the new year with a month of sobriety, according to the charity Alcohol Change UK.

That means that a total of 4.2 million people will kick their booze habit across the country - with more than 110,000 of those hailing from the Black Country and Staffordshire.

In Wolverhampton, an estimated 64 per cent of adults drink alcohol, according to the most recent figures from Public Health England.

This would mean around 12,500 drinkers could be planning to go cold turkey from New Year's Day.

In Dudley, it's estimated that 85 per cent of adults drink alcohol, meaning that around 21,200 people could be set to give up the booze.

Nearby in Sandwell the figures are slightly lower, with more than 17,000 drinkers expected to curb their alcohol intake, while 16,200 people in Walsall will be doing the same.

Across the whole of Staffordshire the figures from Public Health England estimate that 88 per cent of adults drink alcohol, meaning that around 60,400 people could be planning to leave the boozing in January.

Alcohol Change UK, which runs the challenge, says those taking part can expect to feel healthier, save money and improve their relationship with alcohol in the long term.

Dr Richard Piper, CEO of Alcohol Change UK, said: “Put simply, Dry January can change lives.

“Many of us know about the health risks of alcohol - seven forms of cancer, liver disease, mental health problems - but we are often unaware that drinking less has more immediate benefits too.

"Sleeping better, feeling more energetic, saving money, better skin, losing weight. The list goes on."

Abstinence

Wolverhampton already leads the way in alcohol abstinence, with one of the highest rates in England.

More than a third of people say they live booze-free lives, compared to 15 per cent across England.

This is in contrast to Staffordshire which only has a record of 12 per cent of residents living without alcohol.

Dudley is the same as the national average, with 15 per cent, while Sandwell and Walsall has more than a quarter and more than a fifth respectively.

Wolverhampton also has one the lowest populations of heavy drinkers in the country.

Around 15 per cent of people say they drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week, the NHS's recommended safe limit, compared to 26 per cent across England.

Staffordshire has more than the national average at 29 per cent, Dudley and Sandwell are just under with 25 per cent while Walsall has 22 per cent of people drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week.

That's the equivalent of more than six pints of average strength beer or six standard glasses of wine.

NHS guidelines also advise against binge drinking, which it defines as drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time or drinking to get drunk.

But in Wolverhampton, seven per cent of adults surveyed admitted to binge drinking on their heaviest day of drinking in the last week.

This is in comparison to Staffordshire where 20 per cent of people asked admitted to binge drinking, with both Dudley and Sandwell recording 11 per cent and Walsall 17 per cent.

Dr Piper said: “The brilliant thing about Dry January is that it’s not really about January.

"Being alcohol-free for 31 days shows us that we don’t need alcohol to have fun, to relax, to socialise.

"That means that for the rest of the year we are better able to make decisions about our drinking, and to avoid slipping into drinking more than we really want to."

For more information about Dy January visit alcoholchange.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/dry-january

For more information about Dry January see https://alcoholchange.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/dry-january