Like most of the Fox Valley, I raised a few toasts this holiday season, and in fact, attended more parties than usual over my end-of-year vacation.
But I’m no big fan of alcohol. My dad died from drinking too much of it, and you may even remember a 1997 Copley Newspapers special section with my name attached titled “Generations Under the Influence” that explored through my own personal story and photographer Brian Plonka’s incredible visuals the love/hate affair we have with booze in our society.
Which is why I was both pleased and intrigued when I read the city of Aurora was jumping on the “Dry January” bandwagon, a ride I hope more will take as a way to reflect more about the role alcohol plays in our own lives.
Aurora’s proclamation could be considered by some as a gimmick. But I suggest it’s a big deal.
And certainly timely, considering the surgeon general of the United States recently made unprecedented headlines himself after announcing an undisputed link between alcohol and cancer is reason enough to put warning labels on all alcoholic beverages.
Timely for sure, but city officials insist Dr. Vivek Murthy’s pronouncement was just a coincidence, as plans were already in place a week prior to promote a city-plugged Dry January.
According to city spokesman Clayton Muhammad, it was business contacts Invest Aurora CEO Kelly O’Brien had with Dr. Michael Caldwell, chief medical officer of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, that set the wheels in motion.
In January of 2023, Meharry, one of the country’s four HBCU medical institutions, became the official U.S. home of the International Dry January Campaign, which began over a decade ago in Great Britain and just recently was promoted by Nashville, Philadelphia, Chicago and now Aurora, which lit up the Pedestrian Bridge over the Fox River in yellow, the official color of Dry January.
For Meharry, which sent a couple of medical students to take part in Aurora’s movement, taking on this role makes sense. Alcohol is one of the top three leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. And research shows that a month of sobriety lowers blood pressure as well as cholesterol and diabetes risk, all things that disproportionally impact minority communities.
But as we all know, alcohol abuse knows no ethnic or socioeconomic boundaries. And we all could use a reason to pause or reduce our own intake.
Not surprising, there was some pushback for Aurora’s participation in what some might describe as a booze boycott. After all, alcohol is a huge part of the downtown’s surging restaurant and entertainment business. And surely asking folks to slow down or stop drinking for a month would dramatically reduce those lucrative bar tabs.
But when Bernie Laskowski, owner of Craft Urban Restaurant in downtown Aurora, heard about the idea, he was excited.
Rather than hurt businesses – which most people assume would happen – Dry January actually helps, said Laskowski, whose restaurant was already serving “mocktails” for its family-friendly clientele.
“We enjoy the creative challenges and opportunities this brings to our restaurant community and help people understand health and wellness are obtainable,” he insisted in a city-issued press release.
The whole idea is to let those taking part in Dry January know “you can still come out and have a good time. We have options for you,” said Muhammad, adding that other downtown establishments have happily “jumped on board.”
To the east, Joe Chura is also enjoying the Dry January trend.
Chura, whose father also died of complications from alcoholism, opened Go Brewing in Naperville in 2023 as the first nonalcoholic (NA) brewery in Illinois and only one of a few taprooms in the country. And according to media reports, as the new year kicks off, he can proudly boast of its success, which includes an award-winning NA craft beer and distribution in 20 states, as well as to major retailers including Costco and Jewel Osco.
While I wasn’t able to get in touch with Chura on deadline, he noted in a recent interview with “Eater Chicago” that last year during Dry January his business sold out of everything, which is why they stocked up in advance and created partnerships with regular brewing companies to fill the demand for NA drinks.
I know a handful of people, including family members, who have given Dry January a shot. While none gave up booze after 30 days, they cut back, some considerably. And they still talk about how much better they felt, with improved hydration and sleep, reduced puffiness and bloating and a clearer vision of their drinking habits.
It’s a new year. It’s a start.
As Muhammad put it, “These are the little steps we can take … it’s all about building momentum.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com
