In the Czech Republic, it’s unfortunately often considered normal to have a beer with lunch, a couple of glasses of wine after a tiring workday, or a shot of herbal liqueur for digestion. Sadly, 1.5 million Czechs engage in risky drinking, and the number of those who turn to alcohol daily hasn’t decreased significantly. For the twelfth year, the annual “Dry February” campaign offers the chance to pause drinking for a month and truly assess one’s relationship with alcohol.
How much does the average Czech drink? In 2022, the average Czech consumed 143 liters of beer, nearly 20 liters of wine, and 7 liters of spirits, according to the Czech Statistical Office. The Czech Republic, along with Lithuania and Moldova, ranks in the top three in Europe for alcohol consumption. Only about a third of the population are abstainers or light drinkers. 17-19% face a high risk of addiction. Although alcohol consumption per capita is decreasing over time, about 10% of the population still reaches for a bottle daily.
Registration for this year’s event began on January 15. Participants receive a “virtual backpack” filled with home entertainment, discounts, and benefits to enhance the dry February experience. The backpack includes online exercises, a month of free O2 TV, access to Caloric Tables, engaging webinars, and inspiration.
The online backpack provides inspiration on how to enjoy life without alcohol, offering ways to have fun in society and at home without visiting pubs, to eat and drink healthily, and to have friends who don’t judge by the glass’s contents.
This February guided by a tea calendar
This leap year, Dry February is one day longer. The days will pass quicker thanks to a special tea calendar, prepared in collaboration with Leros. The February calendar will guide participants through the month, with beautiful graphics by Christiana Turečková, 29 fragrant Leros teas, and 29 QR codes with multimedia content on well-being.
What does “Dry February” bring to its participants?
Dry February has become a campaign for a “pure life,” not just a month-long detox from alcohol, but a comprehensive cleansing for a healthy lifestyle and a meaningful personal journey. It also inspires others. Post-campaign, 53% of participants reduced their drinking. Reported benefits include better sleep, clear thinking, weight loss, reduced smoking, and increased energy.
Supported by doctors, therapists, addiction specialists, journalists, Czech celebrities, renowned restaurants and bars, students, and people who have struggled with alcohol themselves, Dry February is more than a personal journey; it helps us and others understand who controls whom.
“Do we control alcohol, or does alcohol control us?”
Dry February is based on the real issue of excessive alcohol consumption in the Czech Republic and its negative consequences. Consider this: 6% of all deaths in the Czech Republic are attributed to alcohol. Over 1 million Czechs engage in risky drinking. According to WHO, we consume 14.4 liters of pure alcohol per person per year, excluding tourist consumption. The societal costs of excessive alcohol consumption amount to 56 billion CZK.
It’s not just about us
Many around us struggle with alcohol issues, and it’s important to discuss these matters at work, home, among friends, and in schools. Participating in the Dry February campaign and spreading its message benefits you and can impact those around you. Many of us might not have a problem with alcohol, but we are affected by others’ excessive drinking, similar to “second-hand smoking”. Whether it’s a parent, friend, colleague, or employee drinking, it affects us. Dry February helps address this issue and aims to make the month-long abstinence a valuable life experience. After this, even if you enjoy an evening with a couple of glasses of good wine, you’ll know you could have managed just as well with a herbal tea.
REGISTER and join over 900,000 others who want to do something for their health and contribute to a drier Czech Republic. Discover a new dimension of sobriety at www.suchejunor.cz. (January 2024)
Alcohol Awareness 
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