HALTON drinkers are being urged to join thousands of others taking a break from booze in January.

Halton Council’s health improvement team is supporting Alcohol Concern’s Dry January campaign which encourages people to take a month out from alcohol and enjoy the benefits from taking a break from drinking.

Halton Cllr Marie Wright, board member for health, said: “Dry January gives us a chance to think about our own drinking habits and how this can affect our lives and the lives of people around us.

“Whether you goal is to stay off the booze completely or to cut it down, why not join us and see what a difference it makes.”

The campaign encourages people to stop drinking for one month from January 1.

If you sign up at dryjanuary.org.uk you’ll receive tips and encouragement throughout January to help keep you on track.

More than 17,000 people across England took part in Dry January in 2014 and many reported that taking a month-long break from alcohol acted as a reset button concerning their alcohol use for months afterwards, not only helping people to drink less but also to drink less frequently.

Dry January has proven that taking a month off booze can have a positive impact on people’s long term drinking levels. Not only do participants who take a month off alcohol drink less frequently afterwards, they drink less per drinking day and also get drunk less often.