This post was updated Feb 4. at 8:33 p.m.

College offers many young adults the chance to experience new freedoms. One of these is the freedom that comes with unprecedented access to alcohol.

As awareness about alcohol’s impact on health and happiness grows, UCLA students should consider taking a moment to soberly assess their alcohol consumption and consider cutting back.

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the former United States Surgeon General, recently warned Americans about the link between alcohol consumption and at least seven types of cancer. He advocated for updating the current health risk warning on alcohol bottles to mention this cancer risk.

The surgeon general’s warning is timely, since this month marks the 13th Dry January. The movement, founded in 2013, encourages people to abstain from alcohol during January.

Lara Ray, a psychology professor at UCLA, suggested that people approach Dry January as an experiment to help them understand what it would be like to go a month without drinking.

Ray clarified there is a wide range of patterns of alcohol consumption, some being more dangerous than others.

The heavier one drinks, the more health consequences they experience, she said.

In line with the former surgeon general’s warning, it is crucial to understand all of the health risks associated with every pattern of alcohol consumption.

Dr. Melissa Baker, a third-year resident physician at the Ronald Reagan UCLA and Olive View Emergency Department, said binge drinking can lead to conditions like alcoholic hepatitis or liver inflammation, as well as difficulty sleeping and mood swings. Over the years, chronic binge drinking can eventually cause liver failure.

These health impacts were part of the inspiration behind Dry January.

“I encourage people to try. If not for a month, try for a week and see what you learn about the pull of alcohol in your life,” Ray said.

While the health implications of drinking may cause some to cut back or join Dry January, others may worry about the social consequences of doing so.

Sydney Richardson, a fourth-year dance and African American studies student, said she has abstained from alcohol during college and hasn’t felt pressured to start drinking.

“Most of my friends and people I’m around, even if they do drink, they don’t mind me not,” she said.

For Dry January to be effective, you don’t have to cut alcohol out completely. In fact, that may be counterproductive if long-term habits aren’t implemented.

”You might know that you feel a little better potentially,” Baker said. “Then people after a month go, ‘Oh, it’s fine, I can just start doing what I was doing before,’ and they may not have built healthy habits.”

Alternatively, Baker advocated for a “Dry-ish” January, or using the month to reflect on one’s alcohol consumption, practice moderation and build a healthier and more sustainable relationship with alcohol.

Ray shared a resource to help students kick-start their journey toward alcohol awareness.

“Rethinking Drinking is a website developed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and allows people to do kind of like a drinking checkup to see if they’re drinking too much, if it’s having an effect on their lives.”

No matter what approach you choose, take an opportunity to reflect on your alcohol usage and its impact on your well-being. Remember, college can be just as fulfilling without it.

If you are struggling with alcohol or drug abuse, please contact the Collegiate Recovery Program.