CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — With New Year’s approaching, doctors warn that extra drinking can cause serious short and long-term health problems.

The U.S. Surgeon General calls alcohol the third-leading preventable cause of cancer.

Downtown Charleston shop Sèchey is experiencing busy days as people prepare for Dry January, which is the trend of giving up alcohol for the first month of the year.

“The social pressure is off like my shoulders,” downtown resident Lyncy Nicol said.

The neighborhood is known for its nightlife, but Nicol is joining the trend for a healthier lifestyle.

“I am around all of my friends who constantly drink, but I want to make like good social choices, not under the influence, so healthier choices, but still being able to socialize with my friends,” Nicol said.

Shop owner offers alcohol alternatives

Emily Heintz, founder of Sèchey, said she started the business after realizing alcohol was negatively impacting her life, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and began looking for alternatives. She now offers options so people can still drink socially.

“For people who want to put something else in their glass and feel included in the celebration, without having to say whether they’re drinking alcohol,” Heintz said.

The shop offers products like Sauvignon Blanc from the Bordeaux region of France that contains no alcohol. It was rated 88 points in a traditional wine competition.

Health professionals warn of alcohol’s impact

Health professionals warn that alcohol can take a toll on physical health.

“It can negatively impact our liver, so in other words, making our liver have to work harder to do his job,” Dr. Edward Thomas Lewis III, an addiction psychiatrist at MUSC, said.

Alcohol can also raise blood pressure, contribute to hypertension, and harm overall cardiovascular health.

Lewis said the effects aren’t only physical but can also affect mental health as well.

“Alcohol in itself is a chemical depressant, and so it can be very depressing to our overall system and can cause things like anxiety and depression and insomnia,” Lewis said.

Whether people are considering quitting alcohol entirely or just cutting back, Lewis said he hopes participating in Dry January helps people form healthier habits year-round.

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