More than half of Dry January pledges have already fallen off the wagon

New research indicates that many broke at the mid-way point

More than half of those signed up to Dry January have already lapsed (Getty Images)

Bad news for all those smug dry January braggers: more than half have already fallen off the wagon.

Roughly 12 per cent of adults planned to swear off drinking for January 2015 but according to research commissioned by Pharmacy2U, which interviewed over 2,000 adults, 52 per cent had already succumbed to a drink two weeks in.

Of those, under 25s were the least successful with 64 per cent admitting to having an alcoholic drink.

Last year over 17,000 people took part in Dry January, sponsored by Alcohol Concern an offshoot of Public Health England.

More than one in six drinkers (18 per cent) said they thought alcohol caused relationship conflict, health problems and difficulties at work.

Around 19 per cent of individuals surveyed also admitted they were concerned about a loved one’s drinking.

Dr Nitin Shori, Medical Director of the Pharmacy2U Online Doctor service and a working NHS GP, said Dry January allows people to talk openly about their drinking habits and encourages drinkers to consider cutting down.

“It also proves how easy it is to give in to temptation!”

He added: “Many find themselves in a pattern of excessive drinking that’s difficult to break. Recognising there’s a problem can be one of the biggest challenges though - and some only make a change after loved ones raise the issue.”