'Dry January:' Taking A Month Off Drinking Improves Health All Year, Study Finds

(CBS Philly/CBS Local)-- If your New Year's resolution is to give up alcohol, you may be interested in this study. British researchers found that people who gave up drinking for the first month of 2018 reported drinking less eight months later.

Researchers from the University of Sussex observed over 800 people who took part in "Dry January" -- a health campaign to abstain from alcohol.

"The simple act of taking a month off alcohol helps people drink less in the long term: by August people are reporting one extra dry day per week," says Dr. Richard de Visser, the study's psychologist.

Seven in 10 participants slept better the study noted. Three in five participants lost weight. Additionally, more than half reported better skin, and 9 in 10 said they saved money.

Even if you can't make it all the way through the month, research showed there's still an upside.

"Interestingly, these changes in alcohol consumption have also been seen in the participants who didn't manage to stay alcohol-free for the whole month - although they are a bit smaller," de Visser said. "This shows that there are real benefits to just trying to complete Dry January."