Beyond Temporary Sobriety: The Association Between Sobriety Campaign Completion and Intention to Quit Alcohol

TY - JOUR

T1 - Beyond Temporary Sobriety

T2 - The Association Between Sobriety Campaign Completion and Intention to Quit Alcohol

AU - Srisuk, Nittaya

AU - Penpong, Manolee Sripaoraya

AU - Sonthon, Paithoon

AU - Phenwan, Tharin

AU - Toner, Paul

AU - Saengow, Udomsak

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2026 by the authors.

PY - 2026/7/16

Y1 - 2026/7/16

N2 - Sobriety campaigns (e.g., Dry January (UK), Dry July (Australia), and Thailand’s three-month sobriety campaign) have emerged as strategies to reduce alcohol use, with evidence suggesting sustained effects of such campaigns on drinking behavior for several months post-campaign. However, the relationship between campaign completion and intention to quit (a predictor of quitting behavior) remains underexplored. This study aims to examine the association between completing a sobriety campaign and intention to quit drinking. This is a pooled cross-sectional analysis of three waves of a nationally representative survey, using multivariate logistic regression. Intention to quit drinking was the dependent variable, and completion of the campaign (completely abstaining versus decrease in drinking) was the explanatory variable in the model, adjusting for demographic and drinking-related covariates. Overall, 12.6% of those completing the recent-year campaign expressed an intention to quit drinking. Completing the recent-year campaign was strongly associated with higher odds of intention to quit (adjusted OR 4.75; 95% CI, 3.17–7.34). The findings suggest that temporary sobriety campaigns may serve as an entry point for longer-term behavioral change. Policymakers should consider sobriety campaigns as a complementary strategy to reduce alcohol use alongside the WHO’s recommended interventions.

AB - Sobriety campaigns (e.g., Dry January (UK), Dry July (Australia), and Thailand’s three-month sobriety campaign) have emerged as strategies to reduce alcohol use, with evidence suggesting sustained effects of such campaigns on drinking behavior for several months post-campaign. However, the relationship between campaign completion and intention to quit (a predictor of quitting behavior) remains underexplored. This study aims to examine the association between completing a sobriety campaign and intention to quit drinking. This is a pooled cross-sectional analysis of three waves of a nationally representative survey, using multivariate logistic regression. Intention to quit drinking was the dependent variable, and completion of the campaign (completely abstaining versus decrease in drinking) was the explanatory variable in the model, adjusting for demographic and drinking-related covariates. Overall, 12.6% of those completing the recent-year campaign expressed an intention to quit drinking. Completing the recent-year campaign was strongly associated with higher odds of intention to quit (adjusted OR 4.75; 95% CI, 3.17–7.34). The findings suggest that temporary sobriety campaigns may serve as an entry point for longer-term behavioral change. Policymakers should consider sobriety campaigns as a complementary strategy to reduce alcohol use alongside the WHO’s recommended interventions.

KW - alcohol

KW - abstinence

KW - sobriety

KW - intention to quit

KW - campaign

KW - public health intervention

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph23070912

DO - 10.3390/ijerph23070912

M3 - Article

SN - 1660-4601

VL - 23

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

IS - 7

M1 - 912

ER -