Researchers have discovered an effective way to encourage people to quit drinking. The increased chance of developing cancerThat’s what comes with it. Pair that with counting every drink.
The 2021 study team believes that this combination of ‘Why to Reduce’ and ‘How to Reduce’ messaging can be very useful in encouraging good health among a population.
Drinking too much doesn’t only lead to problems. CancerYou can, of course. Exercising excessively on the booze can cause a variety of problems, including premature deaths, heart disease, and digestive problems. Increased risk of dementia.
“We found that pairing information about alcohol and cancer with a particular practical action – counting their drinks – resulted in drinkers reducing the amount of alcohol they consumed,” Simone Pettigrew, economist and psychologistThe George Institute for Global Health.
The study required three surveys to be completed: 7,995 people filled out the first survey, 4,588 people completed it three weeks later and 2,687 people completed the last three weeks later. Participants were divided into groups and presented with different messages and advertisements about drinking.
One combination stood out compared to a group of controls: A TV advertisement linking alcohol to cancer and offering a way to reduce your alcohol intake was the most successful.
It was also the only combination in which people did actually reduce their alcohol intake over the six-week period.
Other approaches – like encouraging people to decide on a number of drinks and then stick to it – did prompt some of the volunteers to try and cut down, but there was a clear winner based on the people taking part in this research.
“Many people are unaware that alcohol can cause cancer.” Pettigrew. “It is vital that drinkers have this information. But telling people alcohol causes cancer is just part of the solution – we also need to give them ways to take action to reduce their risk.”
Worldwide, alcohol consumption is responsible for as high as 7 percent of all premature deaths. According to the World Health OrganizationOne way to address this problem is to make drinkers more aware about the health risks.
Although health agencies have looked into ways to make booze more affordable and less accessible, it is ultimately up to the individual to decide if alcohol consumption will change over time.
In this particular study, the participants were chosen to be “broadly demographically representative of the Australian drinking public”, so it’s not an approach that will necessarily work elsewhere – but it seems that counting your drinks could be one option to try if you want to cut down.
“Alcohol harm-reduction campaigns have limited resources, so it is important to determine which messages resonate most to maximize their effectiveness.” Pettigrew.
The research was published in Addictive Behaviours.
This article was originally published in June 2021.
