As New Mexico marks the start of 2026, the New Mexico Department of Health is highlighting Dry January alongside its “Drink less, live more” initiative. The statewide campaign encourages adults to pause and reassess their drinking habits, and to notice what changes, if they cut back for a month and keep some of those habits going after January.

Rebecca Neudecker, section manager for NMDOH’s Office of Alcohol Misuse Prevention, frames Dry January as a chance to “hit the reset button” on health, pointing to benefits like improved sleep, more energy, and better mood. The campaign also connects this to the scale of harm in the state, including 1,756 alcohol-related deaths in 2024, and alcohol-related hospitalizations making up 9% of all hospitalizations in New Mexico. A separate NMDOH fact sheet adds more context, noting that 1 in 6 adults in New Mexico report binge drinking in the past month, and that over 2,400 alcohol-related ER visits happen in the state each year (it defines binge drinking as 5 or more drinks for men, 4 or more drinks for women, in one session). English Drinking in New Mexico

Practical support is the main point here: “Drink less, live more” offers evidence-based tools like self-check guides, daily drink trackers, and community support materials, all free online at LiveMoreNM.org.

Find more from https://www.livemorenm.org/ (USA, 2026)