With this holiday season coming to a close and rounding out the past year, New Year's resolutions are officially in full swing for students at Ohio University and beyond. These resolutions include a variety of plans ranging from reinventing oneself, to accomplishing goals and many participating in the increasingly popular Dry January, cutting out all alcohol entirely until the first month of the year has passed.
The tradition of New Year's resolutions originated thousands of years ago, with ancient Babylonians holding a 12-day festival thanking deities for their niceties and promising to fulfill any formerly unpaid debts. Over the course of centuries, the custom has developed into a fun activity to share with friends and bring in the New Year.
Now, over the years, resolutions have developed into customs many people partake in, but it wasn’t until 1813 that the full phrase was written in the Jan. 1 issue of a Boston newspaper, the short article titled “The Friday Lecture,” popularizing the idea and providing it with fresh footing to take off as a custom that slowly developed to a sort of tradition.
Fast forward to 2011, and we see the creation of Dry January, a decision-turned-event created by Emily Robinson, a woman from the United Kingdom who decided to abstain from alcohol while training for a marathon meant to take place in February. After gaining traction and realizing the impact her decision had created, Robinson joined Alcohol Change UK in 2012 with hopes of spreading her insights on the benefits of her month-long sobriety, which was officially transformed to a public event by 2013.
Now, Dry January has become increasingly popular, with hundreds of thousands of people signing up and swearing pacts with their friends to participate. Media outlets and social media have also begun to cater to the resolution, offering information on alternative bars serving mocktails for those who are interested in a tasty drink while remaining steadfast to their goal. However, while there are certainly some benefits for those who aspire to participate in the event, I have wondered what it is in the drinking culture that makes us feel as though we must commit ourselves entirely to sobriety as opposed to enjoying drinks in moderation.
According to a report from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, roughly 30% of full-time college students admit to binge-drinking, which is defined as drinking five or more drinks in one evening. Consistently partaking in nights of intense indulgence with harsh, groggy mornings to follow will undoubtedly lead to negative outcomes, but quitting entirely is an overcorrection that might be intensifying the issue as opposed to solving it.
If someone finds enjoyment from the social aspects of drinking and plans on continuing to do so throughout their life, then learning how to do so responsibly will offer much more long-term benefits than bouncing back and forth between extremes.
College is an overwhelmingly minuscule fraction of time compared to the rest of your life that allows students to live somewhere between the bounds of adolescence and adulthood. For most after graduation, it’s not probable that you will live with your friends in the same house, sharing a living room with spontaneous wine nights filled with laughter. Nor is it likely you’ll live just a short walk away from bartenders who know your drink by heart inside bars that hold so many memories.
Finding the line between perfection and letting loose is what life is all about, and learning to do so is a tricky process, but one that’s incredibly worth it.
So, if you’re wondering whether or not to continue on with a vow of abstinence, you aren’t quite sure why you took it in the first place, consider this your sign to go out with some friends, enjoy some drinks in moderation, call it an early night and wake up without the Sunday scaries.
Layla Vinson is a junior studying journalism & English at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Layla Vinson about their column? Email them at lv861322@ohio.edu
