An addiction specialist explained why it's better to celebrate New Year's without alcohol.

      Vitaly Holdin, the chief freelance addiction specialist at the Ministry of Health of the Moscow Region, suggested considering New Year's Eve without alcohol as a way to make the holiday brighter and healthier. The specialist said that giving up alcoholic drinks would allow people to greet the morning of January 1 without a headache, weakness, or swelling. "This guarantees deep sleep and preserves energy for everything that holidays exist for — active recreation, walks and games. You will enter the new year feeling energetic and with stable wellbeing," Holdin said. He emphasized that this way of celebrating not only conserves strength but also sets a healthy tone for the entire New Year week, allowing people to return to work feeling rested. It is especially important, the addiction specialist said, to celebrate soberly in families with children, showing them by example that real fun does not depend on alcohol.