ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Throughout January, millions of Americans participate in “Dry January,” an attempt to go the whole month without drinking.

Vedant Pradeep’s research has taught him otherwise. The 28-year-old Georgia Tech alumnus is the founder and CEO of Reframe, an app that helps people reduce their drinking. His research shows that a more gradual decline, which he calls “Damp January,” achieves better long-term results.

“We started out trying to help out people with hypoglycemia,” Pradeep said.

But as many startups do, Pradeep pivoted when he noticed many of the people he was helping struggled with alcohol.

“Alcohol is a bad coping strategy, but it is a coping strategy,” Pradeep said.

Reframe, headquartered in Alpharetta, went live in 2020 and has surged to the top of health-app sales in the Apple Store. It offers voluminous options for people to help them cut back or quit drinking, including challenges, counseling, summaries, calendars, stats, and a vast community of users.

“We now have the world’s largest community of people that are trying to cut back on alcohol,” Pradeep said.

Most of all, Reframe has been successful, with over 1 million people using the app. Pradeep says internal numbers show that nearly 40% of users have stayed with it for over a year.

“It helps you understand what alcohol does to your body, how it works,” Pradeep said. “It helps you understand what your triggers are and helps you build these coping strategies.”

It’s also gained support in the medical community. Atlanta cardiologist Dr. Ali Rahimi recommends it to his patients.

“You get a lot of support in an app like that that you don’t get when you see your doctor or therapist a couple of times per year,” he said.

That’s where Reframe fits in with other programs like Alcoholics Anonymous. The app and community are constantly available in a way that’s difficult for other alcohol-reduction programs.

The need is urgent, based on the latest scientific data. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Office publicly discussed the relationship between alcohol and certain cancers earlier this month.

Pradeep has known this for a while and understands that quitting cold turkey leads to slip-ups and then give-ups.

“Alcohol isn’t actually serving you,” he said.

So, as Reframe continues to pile on users, it’s all about making progress toward one’s goal; it’s less about being dry than about becoming your best self.

“That’s the goal,” Pradeep said. “To get to a point where you no longer use alcohol as a coping strategy.”

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