Simple way to reduce alcohol consumption that actually works, according to scientists

Health harm related to alcohol drinking is not limited only to heavy drinkers, as even moderate drinking may cause cancer.

According to this research, pairing two simple messages can in fact play a key role in the reduction of alcohol consumption, and they include an individual counting the number of their drinks, and emphasizing that alcohol may cause cancer.

A trial carried out in 2021 by psychologist and economist Simone Pettigrew at the George Institute for Global Health in Australia - which tested various combinations concerning the reasons and ways for cutting back alcohol - is being seen as a promising development for public health.

The largest cutdown in alcohol consumption was reported by the participants who received both the cancer-warning and drink counting messages.

“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”, according to Pettigrew, who emphasized that merely warning people is not sufficient.

That alcohol causes cancer is already a well known fact.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (AIRC), actually classifies ethanol, which is the active ingredient in booze, as a Group 1 carcinogen.

What this means is that there is strong evidence that it can cause cancer in those who consume it.

Other than damaging and causing cancer to your liver, which is what most people are aware of, an alcohol drinker is also at risk of cancer in other organs, such as: the mouth, throat, larynx, oesophagus, colon and breast.

What may alarm people and make them reduce the number of their glasses, is that there are no “safe” levels to drinking, according to this research, which states that cancer may be caused even in the casual drinkers who only consume small amounts.

The strategy of counting the number of pints or shots seems to be very effective, since the researches found that people who frequently tracked their drinks, ended up reducing their alcohol intake over time.

The scientists asked over 1,200 drinkers precisely how often they used this particular strategy.

What is more, combining the awareness of cancer risk and the action of counting makes people not just understand the risk but actually act on it.