We have already been tracking Dry January stories from several countries on alcoholcampaign.org this month, so this is the French update for January 2026. France is running its 7th edition of the Défi de janvier (January challenge), built around a motivational, non-stigmatising approach that invites people to pause alcohol for the month and notice the effects. The French text also repeats a blunt backdrop, alcohol remains, in 2025, one of the leading causes of avoidable mortality in France, and participation is described in the millions each year, with 4.5 million people mentioned for 2024.

What stands out is how clearly the French organisers frame this as a collective public health effort, carried by a broad group of health-focused organisations (associations, federations, local authorities, hospitals, learned societies). The stated goal is to help people shift their drinking trajectory and, over time, reduce alcohol-related harms (disease, violence, accidents, injuries) while making it more normal not to drink by default. They also point to follow-up evidence from the JANOVER study (2024), where 58% of participants said they were drinking less eight months after taking the challenge.

The practical side is where France adds some useful, very concrete resources this year. Participants can sign up to receive regular emails with encouragement, tips, advice, and testimonies, and they can use the “Try Dry” app to track progress, including drinks not consumed and estimated money saved. Beyond the usual campaign materials (printable flyers, posters, guides, plus online community spaces like a blog and Facebook group), Cespharm also offers pharmacy tools to support brief conversations about alcohol risk, including a two-page leaflet built around the WHO AUDIT questionnaire (10 questions for adults 18+) with simple scoring bands and clear guidance, including the “10 per week, 2 per day” low-risk advice and alcohol-free days, plus situations where the safest option is not to drink at all (pregnancy and breastfeeding, young people, driving, certain medicines, and some health conditions).

Find more from Cespharm.fr (France, January 2026)