Some questions are harder to answer.
Gradations
When I turned on NPR the other morning, I learned- courtesy of the quiz show Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me- that a body lotion sold by Sephora has been found to attract wolf spiders.
Wolf spiders, with a fat body that can be the size of a nickel, not to mention long legs, LOOK frightening. But they aren’t actually dangerous. Their venom isn’t poisonous to humans. Their bite can be painful, but they don’t bite unless provoked, aka leave them alone and they’ll return the favor. What I can’t figure out: who researched this issue and how? I have SO many questions…
The next story was of more personal interest: where did Dry January originate?
The movement has roots that extend back to 1942, when Finland launched a ‘Sober January’ campaign to help defeat the Soviet Union *(the Finns were then in league with Germany and the other Axis Powers). But the modern version launched in the UK circa 2013, when the charity Alcohol Change pitched it as a way to ‘reduce the societal harm caused by alcohol.’ The idea jumped to the US, where it has become exponentially more popular than it ever was in the UK, and so it goes. By some estimates, approximately 15% of adults now practice Dry January.
So…societal harm. That’s real. There are absolutely individuals who should not consume alcohol at all, in any form, because they cannot do so responsibly and in moderation. For them, consuming alcohol is harmful to themselves, to others, or frequently both. I am not sure that a temporary pledge to stop drinking-especially with an expiration date on it-is a help to these individuals. But if it is, that’s great.
For the rest of us, Dry January can be a chance to reset after the holidays, to shed excess pounds, or even to examine our relationship with beverage alcohol. And again, if that works for you, that’s great. If you’re determined to consume no alcohol this January, we have alcohol free wine, beer, ‘spirits’, and even canned mocktails for you. And we’re holding a fun tasting of alcohol-free spirits and cocktails on Thursday, Jan 25-check it out.
But every year, I see people who are upset with themselves because they only made it halfway through the month before they had a beer or a glass of Chardonnay. This year, I’m hearing a new term for that: Damp January. Honestly, I don’t think we need to call that ‘damp’; can’t we just call it healthy moderation?
You should feel comfortable doing whatever you think is best for you. And whatever that is, we’ll find you something delicious to drink.
*Again, SO many questions. How did Finns giving up alcohol harm the Soviets? Did they send all the extra vodka to the Russian Army..?