WORCESTER, Mass. - "Dry January" is underway for many people making New Year's resolutions, and a lot of local bars and restaurants are constantly working to enhance the alcohol-free experience.

Armsby Abbey's bar manager Lesley Cournoyer said the Worcester establishment has been fine tuning their alcohol-free options for about 10 years.

“In the past few years, with emerging trends in the zero-proof market, with more options available to people in restaurants and retail that we're seeing, more people stick with these things,” Cournoyer said.

Cournoyer said their low-to-no alcohol beverages, which feature spirit alternatives like non-alcoholic gin and tequila, are especially popular during Dry January - and Dry January seems to becoming more popular as well.

“We always see a pattern of the alcohol sales dropping off a little bit right in January," Cournoyer said. "You know, everyone's trying meet their New Year's resolutions.”

“I think that this is a concept that people are starting to explore more,” Dr. Amy Harrington, a local addiction psychiatrist.

Harrington said there are a lot of health benefits which can come with cutting out alcohol such as improved sleep and overall mood, weight loss and lowered cholesterol. She said "Dry January" is a great way to start.

“There's this idea of what we call sobriety sampling," Harrington said. "So, maybe people are thinking their drinking is more than they want it to be. They don't want to necessarily commit to quitting for good. But this idea of taking two weeks or a month and sort of seeing what life is like without alcohol is a is a great way to start.”

As more people commit to an alcohol-free lifestyle, Cournouyer said bars and restaurants will continue to expand their offerings.

“I mean, alcohol sales are still strong, but we're definitely seeing consumer habits change for various reasons," Cournoyer said. "Wanting to be more health-conscious, watching your calorie intake - for everybody's personal reasons why they would want to maintain sobriety. These are very low sugar, very low calorie, very good for all the health-conscious people out there and still make really great cocktails that taste just like the cocktails that you know and love.”

Harrington said cutting out alcohol can lead to things like better sleep and a better mood, and while a full month is a great goal, the positive benefits may start to show themselves within one to two weeks.

“I think a lot of people think, you know, alcohol is good for sleep because people find that they fall asleep more quickly" Harrington said. "But what ends up happening is that as the alcohol wears off while you're sleeping, that causes you to have more fractured sleep. And it's not as good a quality sleep. So, people sleep a lot better.

"Alcohol's a depressant, and so especially this time of year when people can be more depressed or prone to seasonal mood fluctuations, alcohol is just going to make those worse. And just in general, you know, weight gain is an issue that comes with alcohol use - cardiac problems, high blood pressure, liver issues. So, there are a lot of great reasons to give it a try, especially in a time like 'Dry January.'”

However, Harrington said for people who may drink more heavily and have developed some sort of tolerance to alcohol, there could be some risks with abruptly stopping.

“If people stop drinking and they start noticing that they're getting really sweaty or they're shaking a lot, maybe their family says that they're acting confused," Harrington said. "That might be a sign that they need medical assistance with detoxing from alcohol.”

Harrington said it’s best to seek medical attention right away, find a detox program, or even go to the emergency room if you or someone you know who is going alcohol free starts to experience withdrawal-like symptoms.