Dry January® is Switzerland’s biggest alcohol prevention campaign, taking place every January and encouraging people to pause their alcohol use for a month. The idea is simple, go alcohol free in January, notice how it feels, and reflect on how easy or difficult it is to leave alcohol out. The campaign is widely known across the country, with strong participation and high public awareness. From January 2026, Dry January® also expands into working life through a new workplace challenge, allowing employers to run the campaign within their organisations and support team based participation.

The workplace focus is not accidental. Working life has changed in recent years, with more flexible hours, home office arrangements, and blurred boundaries between work and private life. For many people, longer hours and higher stress can make alcohol an easy coping strategy. At the same time, alcohol is often deeply embedded in workplace culture, used as a social glue, a reward, or a default part of team events, after work gatherings, Christmas dinners, and networking. In some settings, not drinking can even feel uncomfortable. This makes the workplace a key environment for reflecting together on alcohol use and for supporting healthier norms.

Experiences from teams that have taken part show that socialising works just as well without alcohol and that the overall impact can be very positive. Participants describe better sleep, increased wellbeing, and strong motivation from doing the challenge together, supported by materials, an app, and an online community. An important part of the workplace challenge is also reducing group pressure and making it clear that choosing not to drink is accepted and supported by the employer. At the same time, the campaign is clear about its limits. Dry January® is not suitable for people with alcohol dependence, and anyone who finds the challenge unusually difficult or experiences withdrawal symptoms is encouraged to seek appropriate support and to approach the topic with care within the team.

Find more from Dry January Switzerland (Switzerland, January 2026)