'What 'Dry' January'? France Raises the Glasses

To the despair of France’s medical establishment, dry wine has won out over dry January.

It’s that time of year when — bleary eyed and a few kilos heavier from too many festive toasts — many of us swear off alcohol, at least for a little while.

It’s known as dry January, and according to its proponents, it’s both healthy and fun. But for the fourth year in a row it’s failed to get the French government’s official backing. President Emmanuel Macron’s top team have French wine-makers to keep sweet.

The practice of staying sober for the first month of the year was launched as an official campaign by British charity Alcohol Change U.K. in 2013 as part of a health communications push to get people to realize the benefits of cutting down on boozing. Since then, it’s been repeated yearly, and even gotten official backing from the U.K. government.