Dry January is an opportunity to evaluate your relationship to alcohol. The idea is to abstain from alcohol for the entire month, then decide if you want to go back to your regular drinking habits, drink less, or not at all for the remainder of the year. With the recent discussion in the U.S. of adding cancer warning labels to alcoholic beverages and increased interest in non-alcoholic alternatives to drinking, many Americans may be moved to reevaluate their existing drinking habits more closely this year.

While many participate in Dry January for health reasons or as a reset after the boozy holidays, some might find it impacts their social interactions in unexpected ways—namely, it impacts how they date.

It might feel like a shock to the system at first. So much of dating is linked to drinking culture, from meeting for happy hour "getting to know you" cocktails to using alcohol as a social lubricant at parties and easing the nerves of a hookup. It can be jarring to not have alcohol as a go-to option. But for the 25% of Americans who participate in Dry January annually, it might be a chance to reset the drinking expectations for yourself and your dating life.

Most of us think of alcohol as a social activity that loosens inhibitions, making it an easy wingman for potentially awkward dates. Research has shown that alcohol has a “tendency to free........

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