Researchers have been experimenting with reducing the maximum single serving size of beer in UK pubs and bars, and it seems that cutting down from the traditional pint could help reduce overall alcohol consumption.
If you've not been out drinking in the UK lately, draft beers, lagers, and ciders poured from pumps are usually served in imperial pints (568 milliliters). In a study led by University of Cambridge health psychologist Eleni Mantzari, the pints were scrapped and replaced with two-third pint servings at an equivalent price reduction.
Across the 12 participating venues, alcohol sales by volume dropped by 9.6 percent on average during the four weeks of the trial – across beer on tap as well as bottles and cans. There was a slight increase in wine consumption, however.
"Smaller serving sizes could contribute towards reducing alcohol consumption across populations and thereby decrease the risk of seven cancers and other diseases," the researchers write in their published paper.
We know plenty about the damage that can be done by drinking too much. Alcohol abuse can damage our livers, shrink our brains, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as having numerous other detrimental effects on our health, and we know that the harm can be passed on through generations as well.
One problem with taking away pints is breaking established habits. The dozen licensed premises that took part in the study represented fewer than 1 percent of those asked to participate, and the daily revenues for these businesses dropped as well.
However, according to the research team, customers "did not voice strong objections" to the experiment in these bars, pubs, and restaurants. Whether that would be the case were the idea to be rolled out more widely remains to be seen.
"The pint has been the standard and most popular serving size for beer in England for centuries, having been established in 1698," write the researchers.
"Indeed, 'going for a pint' has become synonymous with the act of going for a drink in British culture."
An earlier study from 2020 involving some of the same researchers showed the same reduction in consumption happens with wine when the available serving sizes are smaller. It's potentially a simple and effective way of improving health and reducing the risk of alcohol abuse.
While there are limitations here – we don't know if drinkers made up the deficit at home, or switched to stronger beers – around 10,000 people per year die from causes specifically related to alcohol in the UK. If that number can be reduced, it might be worth doing away with the tradition of the pint.
"Alcohol harms our health, increasing the risk of injury and many diseases including heart disease, bowel, breast and liver cancers," says psychologist Theresa Marteau, from the University of Cambridge in the UK.
"While we may all enjoy a drink, the less we drink the better our health."
The research has been published in PLOS Medicine.