Join the “Dry February” Challenge

The annual “Dry January” sobriety fest was launched by Britain’s Alcohol Concern in 2013. The campaign is aimed at getting both men and women to give up the bottle in an effort to lose weight, sleep better, and boost energy while raising funds for public health.

Today commences the third-annual Czech version of that UK event; the target audience for Dry February (Suchej únor) being Czech men who reportedly consume 18 liters of pure alcohol per capita, three times the world average, according to 2014 data compiled by the World Health Organization.

As the biggest boozers in Eastern Europe, nearly 23 percent of Czech men are dependent on alcohol increasing their risk of serious health problems like heart disease, depression, and prostate and testicular cancers.

Dry February aims to promote sobriety and men’s health by encouraging Czech guys to spend less time at their local this month and more time getting fit (a team for the April Prague half marathon is being organized by the League of Open Men, the group behind Dry February; training starts this month). 

The campaign also encourages those who save money in the name of abstinence to donate their newly found funds to a variety of health-related charities including Breasts and Balls which promotes regular testicular cancer screenings and mammograms – women are encouraged to participate in Dry February in solidarity with their counterparts.