Last orders for pints? Two-thirds measure of beer better for health
Fancy a quick two-thirds? It may lack the appeal of the more familiar afterwork invitation, but abandoning the pint for a smaller measure could boost the nation’s health, researchers say.
Scientists reached the conclusion after a trial in a dozen pubs, bars and restaurants in England during which pints were scrapped and two-thirds of a pint became the largest serving of draught beer available.
The change resulted in the amount of beer sold falling nearly 10%. Though modest, the drop could lessen the impact of alcohol-related harm, the team believe.
“This is the first real-world study to look at this,” said Prof Dame Theresa Marteau, who led the research and is the director of the University of Cambridge’s behaviour and health research unit. “Does this have the potential to contribute to population health? I’d say definitely, yes.”
Alcohol raises the risk of more than 60 health conditions, from cirrhosis to cancer, and with related accidents causes millions of deaths worldwide. More than a fifth of adults in England drink more than 14 units a week, putting them at higher risk of harm.
The Cambridge trial tested the idea that people often think more in portions than portion sizes, going for one beer, one cup of tea, one piece of cake, rather than numbers of millilitres or grams. In a similar trial in January, wine sales fell when the largest glass size, typically 250ml, was scrapped.
To see if the trick worked for beer, more than 1,700 venues were invited to join the trial. The response was unenthusiastic: despite compensation for lost takings, only 13 agreed.
The trial took place over three months last year. In the first and last month, pints were served as normal. In the middle month, pints were scrapped, with the largest beer on tap being two-thirds of a pint.
The smaller servings cut the volume of beer sold by 9.7%, the authors reported in the journal Plos Medicine. Wine sales crept up, but the amount of alcohol consumed overall was still down. Earnings dropped 5%.
None of the establishments permanently scrapped the pint.
Beyond the loss in takings, there is an inertia to overcome – the 568ml British pint, introduced in 1698, remains a cultural foundation.