Sober October is the new Dry January. More people are trying it, should you?

Move over, Dry January. Sober October is taking over.

The 31-day challenge to abstain from alcohol began in 2014 by Macmillan Cancer Support in the United Kingdom to raise money for people with cancer. But Sober October quickly took the U.S. by storm as a sober-curious movement swept the country.

A 2024 survey by Boca Recovery Center, a drug and alcohol rehab in Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Indiana, found 1 in 4 Americans planned to participate in Sober October that year.

Research shows taking a month-long break from alcohol, even if it’s just temporary, has been associated with a wealth of physical and mental health benefits, said Sarah Peregrine, director of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Services at Gateway Healthcare in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

“Alcohol as a substance affects the whole body,” she said. “Even a short break has an impact on multiple body systems.”