Yes, it’s been dry.
California’s fires have locals’ anxieties creeping in. We’ve been there.
The 2002 Missionary Ridge Fire and 2018 416 and Burro Fire Complex fires were among the largest in Colorado’s history, and had serious impacts on tourism and local business at the beginning of summer.
We don’t want to go there again. So, for now, we won’t.
Look to this coming Sunday’s opinion pages for heartfelt and serious words from our local fire chief, Randy Black, on that topic. That column does not include praying to Ullr, the Scandinavian god associated with skiing and snow, but it couldn’t hurt.
Today, the Herald’s editorial board would like to tip its hat to the other dry January, and those participating. The Dry January that doesn’t depend upon drought conditions, but certainly uses similar language.
The ‘Dry January’ we’re talking about is the month people across the globe abstain from drinking alcohol during the first month of the year, often as a New Years’ resolution.
Damp- and Dryish are also adjectives associated with the month that celebrates mocktails, saving money, losing weight, a healthier liver, better sleep and testing one's mettle as to whether it can actually be done.
Dry January started over a decade ago in the UK, though the practice of “Sober January” has its roots in Finland and dates back to 1942, to help with the war against the Soviet Union.
Alcohol Change UK is the flag bearer that since 2013 has aimed to reduce the harm caused by alcohol in society. They’ve been meeting with success. In 2023, 175,000 people signed up on their website. In the U.S., also in 2023, 15% percent of U.S. adults – over 260 million Americans, pledged to reduce or omit alcohol consumption for the month.
This year, 15.5 million people from the UK committed. The number of countries participating has greatly expanded to include 184 participating in 2024, with Europe’s sign-ups totaling 33%. That includes France, Europe’s biggest wine producer and Germany, Europe’s leading beer producer.
This is good news for our physical and mental health, if people stick with it. So maybe you don’t eliminate alcohol altogether, though that is a good idea, since the World Health Organization says no level of alcohol is good for our health and classify it, along with asbestos, radiation and tobacco, as a Group 1 carcinogen.
Try how it is to leave alcohol behind or reduce consumption to just weekends. There are apps that can help monitor your intake and cheer you on. Friend groups, partners and spouses can help, too. Many people find it is often not as easy as it may sound.
One thing to remember is that you can always start, or start over. After Snowdown, during the (shorter) month of February, perhaps. The boundaries of a month when others are participating, helps, but it’s up to the individual.
CU Anschutz has a great guide available at https://bit.ly/4hhHT3H from last year that helps navigate the challenge. If Europeans can do it. So can we.
