Reduced Alcohol Serving Can Reduce Alcohol Consumption, Says UK Study
The global burden of alcohol consumption is huge in terms of lives lost and alcohol-related injuries. Alcohol is a commonly consumed substance, the use of which is not considered a taboo. It is this acceptability which encourages people from different age groups to turn to drinking, not realizing when a casual sip turns into a full blown addiction. Despite the known ill-effects of drinking alcohol, many people find it hard to keep that bottle down.
Several researches have been undertaken in the past to figure out a way to reduce the consumption of alcohol. However, a recent study, conducted by the researchers of the University of Liverpool, focused on how the serving size of alcohol affected the rate of alcohol consumption. They investigated if reducing the quantity of alcohol served would in turn lead to a decline in alcohol consumption.
Reduced serving size led to lower consumption of alcohol
The researchers organized two studies to observe how reduced serving size of alcohol affected alcohol consumption. The first study introduced the participants to a customized living room setting in a lab, where they were randomly given standard and reduced size servings to consume while watching an hour long TV program. The standard-sized drink contained 2.07 units of alcohol per serving, while the reduced-sized serving had 25 percent less alcohol compared to the standard drink.
The second study invited participants to selective local bars, where only the standard- or reduced-sized servings were available. Pints and 175ml of wine constituted the standard drink, served in medium-sized glasses. While small glasses were used for the reduced serving which was 125 ml of wine and 2/3rd of a standard pint. Both the drinks had the same value for money and there was no limit on the number of drinks that the participants could consume.
After observing the drinking pattern of the participants in both the settings and the varied serving sizes, it was found that those who were served drinks with smaller quantities drank less than those who were given standard servings. “These studies are the first to demonstrate that reducing the serving size of alcoholic beverages prompts reductions in alcohol consumption,” said lead author Dr Inge Kersbergen.
Scope to reduce serving size of alcohol
The usual serving size of a beer pint in the UK is larger than in most other countries. Even the serving size of wine has enlarged in recent years. Therefore, if the serving sizes were reduced by 25 percent, it would not mean an unrealistically small serving size. In fact, cutting the standard serving size of alcohol in public bars may prove to be a successful way to slash alcohol consumption and improve public health.
Moreover, researchers estimated that reducing the serving size of alcoholic beverages by a quarter would result in 1,400 fewer deaths and 73,000 lesser alcohol-related hospital casualties every year.
Time to fight addiction
Alcoholism is a disease which needs to be curbed. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2006 and 2010, approximately 88,000 Americans lost their lives due to excessive alcohol intake, while binge drinking caused a wide range of health problems including co-occurring mental issues, delinquent behaviour, organ failures and addiction.
If you or a loved one is struggling with alcohol addiction, contact the 24/7 Alcohol Abuse Help for immediate assistance. You can call our 24/7 alcohol abuse helpline 866–480–6873 or chat online with one of our representatives for detailed information on alcohol abuse treatment centers in your vicinity. Our representative will address all your queries related to alcohol addiction and its harmful effects.