CITY of York Council is supporting Alcohol Concern’s Dry January and is encouraging York’s residents to sign up to take a month out from alcohol and enjoy the benefits from having a break from drinking.

Over 17,000 people took part in Dry January last year and many reported that taking a month-long break from alcohol acted as a reset button concerning their alcohol use for months afterwards, not only helping people to drink less per drinking day but also to drink less frequently.

Julie Hotchkiss, City of York Council’s interim director of public health said: “Drinking too much alcohol can lead to over 40 medical conditions and diseases, including cancer, stroke, liver disease, heart disease and mental health problems. It can be difficult to know that you are drinking too much because the effects are often not noticeable for a number of years, but taking a break from alcohol during January will give you a healthier start to 2015."

Current recommended drinking limits are that men should not regularly drink more than three to four units per day and women should not regularly drink more than two to three units per day.

Currently in England 18 per cent of women drink above recommended limits of alcohol per week and 26 per cent of men drink above recommended limits of alcohol per week.

To sign up for Alcohol Concern’s Dry January and register for tips and tools to make the most of the month, people should visit www.dryjanuary.org.uk.