Why is everyone talking about ‘going damp’?

Damp drinking, going damp or living a damp lifestyle: whichever way you incorporate the word ‘damp’ into the equation, it’s really about approaching your drinking habits in a more mindful way and taking a moment to reconsider your relationship with alcohol. That could look like drinking less, drinking differently or only having a drink on a special occasion, among other things. There are no hard-and-fast rules around living a damp lifestyle – after all, it’s a social trend and, as we know, they come and go. Many people have been doing exactly this for yonks, but now we have a name for it, and it’s helping to provide people with more options for how they interact with alcohol, as well as lower the stigma for those who choose to abstain.

One way of thinking about living a damp lifestyle is it can demonstrate that drinking doesn’t have to be black and white. It’s a way to understand that you might not need to go all out at a club on the weekend, but you also don’t have to sit at home with a cuppa on the couch (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Proponents of going damp see it as all about balance and taking a considered approach to your relationship with drinking.