Cheers to getting through Dry January, but a few binge drinkers are our real alcohol problem | Devi Sridhar

In England, just 4% of people consume 30% of the alcohol sold. Harm reduction measures, such as those in Scotland, are essentialAnd so the longest month of the year – at least it feels that way – is finally over. But as the days get ever so slightly longer, and as new year resolutions start to falter, what to make of that programme of month-long abstinence that so many Britons seemed to engage in?Dry January is a public health campaign that was started in 2013 by Alcohol Change UK. As you may know, it involves avoiding all alcohol for the month; this has individual benefits such as saving money, avoiding hangovers, better sleep, fewer empty calories and better overall energy levels. It comes at a time that has seen a transition towards not drinking at all in younger generations, with an estimated 20% of the population now never consuming alcohol.Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh