MANY people will have started the New Year by taking up the Dry January challenge - a chance to take stock, mentally and physically reset, and start anew by abstaining from alcohol for an entire month. Started in 2013 by Alcohol Change UK’s Emily Robinson, the first year of the national awareness month saw just 4,000 people take part. Since then, the challenge has grown more popular year on year, with around 215,000 people now taking part globally.