BOOZERS recovering from the Black Friday for alcohol are encouraged to sign up for Dry January and reconsider their drinking habits.

Yesterday night saw alcohol sales spike as revellers flooded to bars and restaurants, celebrating the end of the working year and start of the party season.

In December 2013, more than £220m was spent on alcohol in the South West during the party season, and now health bosses are encouraging partygoers to consider taking part in the Dry January initiative, avoiding alcohol for the month.

Alcoholic Kim Smith used to use the party season as an excuse to indulge in her addiction.

The 55-year-old, from North Swindon, who has been sober for the past six years, said her turning point only came when she recognised the impact it was having on her teenage children.

She said: “I had got myself caught in a vicious circle of drinking to excess, not socially but alone.

“Sometimes I could get through a whole bottle of vodka in a day.

“At best it makes you numb, then you wake up the next day, with the empty white wine or spirit bottle, feeling terrible and the problems are still there.

“Christmas can be a particularly difficult time for people because there’s lots of pressure to have the perfect everything.

“It can also be really lonely and alcohol is an easy thing to turn to because it’s everywhere – all over the TV, in the shops, you can’t escape it.

“Having an alcohol problem is still quite a taboo subject, so it is hard to admit you’ve got a problem and get help.

“But I’m proof that you can change and the results are really positive.

“When my kids said: ‘We’ve got our mum back,’ that was the best Christmas present you could ever wish for and I’m so glad to be there for them and also for me too.”

Jackie Ballard, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, said: “This is the perfect time to sign up to a holiday from alcohol. Dry January is not about never drinking again. It’s just an opportunity for people to reflect on their drinking patterns and to give their body a break from alcohol after the festive period. We know from previous years that people who do Dry January will feel better, lose weight and save money.”

People who sign up to Alcohol Concern’s Dry January will receive the tips, ideas and encouragement to stay motivated.

If you would like to sign up, visit www.dryjanuary.org.uk.