CLEVELAND — It’s easy to sometimes overindulge over the holiday season, but for many, once January arrives, it’s time to hit restart on health goals. The term “dry January” is something you may be hearing more of this month. It’s a popular initiative where people vow not to drink alcohol for the entire month. This year, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control is encouraging Ohioans to participate. Doctors said it’s a great way to jumpstart weight loss, improve sleep, and increase energy.
Dry January is the concept that led Verbena Free Spirited Shoppe to open its doors in 2021, said owner and founder Molly Cheraso.
“My husband was training for the Cleveland marathon, and he decided to try taking 31 days off of drinking alcohol,” said Cheraso. “When he was training, he was sleeping better, running better, and just felt better overall.”
Cheraso’s husband partaking in dry January led her to discover non-alcoholic products she wanted to then make available for everyone.
“Once we discovered how good the options were, I wanted to share those options with other people,” Cheraso added. “There also wasn't any place to get them locally so that’s why I started Verbena Free Spirited.”
This January, the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control has partnered with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services encouraging Ohioans to try abstaining from alcohol for the month of January.
Chief of Office of Prevention Services with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Stacey Frohnapfel-Hasson, said the dry January initiative is about regaining balance.
“We are a whole being and you can't separate the head from the body,” added Frohnapfel-Hasson. “If your head feels good, there's a good chance your body will feel good as well.”
Cleveland Clinic Transplant Hepatologist Dr. Shreya Sengupta said since the pandemic, rates of alcohol-related health issues like liver failure have increased in women and African American patients, and one month of sustaining from alcohol can lead to helpful benefits like deeper, better sleep, better blood pressure, more energy, and even weight loss.
“Even short-term abstinence from alcohol such as 30 days, which is exactly what dry January is, can reduce cardiovascular risk factors and actually can reduce the number of free radicals which are considered to be cancer promoting,” said Sengupta.
For the month of January, Verbena Free Spirited has a series of events like free tastings every Saturday to help the sober curious get in on the sober fun. So, if you want to give dry January a shot this year, make sure to keep it booze-free, which Verbena Free Spirited can help with.
“This is really a welcoming place where you can still be included in the celebrations in our culture that revolve often around alcohol,” said Cheraso.
Verbena Free Spirited in Ohio City is open starting at 8 A.M Wednesday through Sunday. If you think you have a problem with alcohol, you can always call 988 to be connected to further services and help.
