NORTH CAROLINA – January, 2024 – Maybe it’s a New Year’s resolution or maybe people just want to be healthy after overdoing it during Holiday Season? But in any event, there is a growing worldwide movement of millions of people who skip drinking alcohol for one month after celebrating the New Year. This trend is consistent with the latest World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation that abstaining from alcohol is good for your health.  According to a study published in JAMA Network Open in 2022, drinking alcohol is one of the leading preventable factors that can result in early death for Americans. The COVID pandemic resulted in more alcohol consumption as a result of people being isolated at home. The “sober curious” movement began in response, particularly with younger adults. According to a survey by CivicScience in 2023, 16% of U.S. adults who drink did not have a drink during January 2023. As a result, one third of them might reduce their alcohol intake in the future.

The Dry January movement began in 2012. It was started by Alcohol Change UK, a British charity that wanted people to “ditch the hangover, reduce the waistline and save some serious money by giving up alcohol for 31 days.” There are more alcohol-free bars and events. Many companies are producing non-alcoholic drinks like “mocktails” and zero-proof beer and wine. Devil’s Foot Beverage Company in Asheville has created non-alcoholic drinks like ginger ‘beer’ and other craft specialties.

According to a 2023 Gallup survey, about two-thirds of adults in America drink. However, the Southern states have the lowest per capita consumption of alcohol. The NC Department of Health and Human Services, reports that North Carolina ranks 44^th in the country in per capita consumption.

Last year the WHO published an opinion piece in The Lancet Public Health journal reporting that drinking alcoholic beverages contributed to over 3 million deaths worldwide and was responsible for more than 5% of global disease and injury in 2016. However, while some studies indicate that a light use of alcohol could a create small protective effect from developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, there does not appear to be a preventive effect from alcohol consumption and the development of cancer. Therefore, the WHO feels that “no safe amount of alcohol consumption for cancers and health can be established. Alcohol consumers should be objectively informed about the risks of cancer and other health conditions associated with alcohol consumption.”

Alcohol is toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-producing. Drinking alcohol can cause the following health problems: cirrhosis of the liver, mental health illness, suicide, cancer, unintentional injury, pregnancy problems, and affect the health of the fetus. It has been linked to many types of cancer, including: esophagus, liver, colorectal, and breast. Drinking too much increases the risk of cancer. Alcohol use has been increasing amongst women in the U.S. Women have been found to be of greater risk to develop health problems because their bodies can absorb more alcohol and metabolize it slower than men.

In a 2015 study from the Royal Free Hospital in London, people who drink in moderation were found to feel better and be healthier by abstaining from alcohol for only 1 month. They had improvements in concentration and sleep, lower cholesterol and glucose levels in the blood, lower blood pressure, weight loss, a reduction of fat in their liver.

According to two University of Sussex studies:

• More than half of people who take part in Dry January reported that they sleep better, have more energy, lost weight, and have better skin (2019 study)
• Almost three quarters of the people who successfully abstained from drinking alcohol for one month, also reduced the amount of alcohol consumed 6 months later (2014 study)

Going one month without a drink is like test driving a car before buying it. If a person feels healthier, then he or she is more likely to reduce their alcohol consumption. Or if there is a need for alcohol, then he or she may have alcohol dependence and need to speak with their healthcare provider.

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Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

ASHEVILLE, NC –  February 7, 2024 – There was a surge of respiratory viral infections due to an increase in indoor gatherings and travel during the holidays; however, we are past the holiday season peak.

The COVID-19 metrics are on the CDC’s COVID Dashboard. For the week ending on January 27^th  

• Hospital admission levels are low in about 80% of the counties in North Carolina, including Buncombe County, and high in 0%. They are low in almost 90% of the counties in the U.S. and high in less than 1%. Admissions have decreased in the U.S. by more than 10%, decreased in North Carolina by about 5% and decreased in Buncombe County by 20% from the previous week.
• About 5% of the deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the 3^rd highest level of 6 groups.
• Emergency room visits for COVID-19 are low in North Carolina. This represents about 2% of all ER visits and stable from the previous week.

Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks. The Buncombe & Henderson counties wastewater data for the week ending on January 24^th is on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard.

• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is at a red level representing the highest level of 5 groups, currently between the 80^th and 100^th percentile relative to the past level measured at the same site.
• The 15-day rate of change of the number of viral gene copies in each water sample has increased from the previous week, at 1% to 9%, the lowest level of 3 groups for a positive rate of change.

The CDC’s weekly flu surveillance report for the week ending on January 27^th indicates that levels are either high or very high for most southern states from New Mexico to the East coast. North Carolina is at a high level.

The CDC reports that the 3-week average for the percent positivity for RSV PCR tests in North Carolina reached a peak of almost 15% around Thanksgiving. The most recent report for the week ending on January 27^th shows that percent positivity continues to decrease to less than 4%.

The North Carolina Respiratory Virus Summary Dashboard for the week ending on January 27^th shows that

• The percentage of emergency room visits for people with respiratory virus symptoms has decreased by 3%.
• Hospital admissions have decreased for COVID and the flu.
• There were more admissions for COVID than the flu.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, the CDC director, told Yahoo Life, if you are starting to feel sick with a cough, sore throat or fever: get tested, get treatment, and stay home.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]