Written by Hayley Shirkey

It helps your health and well-being, while also raising funds for the Canadian Cancer Society and cancer research. 

Dry Feb started as a pilot project in 2016 in Ontario, since then, the campaign has gone national, urging Canadians to give up alcohol for one month. Any type or amount of alcohol increases your cancer risk. If more Canadians limited the amount of alcohol they drink, 44,300 cancer cases could be prevented by 2042. 

The pandemic has had a huge effect on substance abuse. 1 in 3 Canadians who consume alcohol have been drinking more since the pandemic started, according to a survey done by the Canadian Cancer Society. 

Barbra Acampado-Kay, a Senior Manager for Campaigns at the Canadian Cancer Society, says there are options if one month might be too long. "We have the dry-ish option. You can participate and do the challenge for 21 days, 14 days, or a timeframe that works best for you," says  Acampado-Kay. 

She says the Canadian Cancer Society wants people to make informed decisions. "If they are aware of the cancer risk, we are hoping it will change behaviour for people to give up alcohol or drink less," Acampado-Kay says alcohol can put you at risk for at least six types of cancer.

Not drinking for a month can seem daunting for many people, especially since we are just getting out of the holiday season, luckily the Canadian Cancer Society has some tips to stay on track. 

"We encourage people to do this with a partner or friend to help you stay on course," says Acampado-Kay. Some other tips include switching out your favourite alcohol beverage for a non-alcoholic version, sharing your progress with friends and family to get the support you need and remembering that you are helping fund life-saving research for Canadians. 

For more information on this campaign and to sign up, click here.