What if we reduced the size of glasses to drink less alcohol?

“Dry January” is over! The courageous who took up the challenge of the month of alcohol-free January can finally allow themselves to drink it, but it is not always easy to consume in moderation.

What if reducing the size of the glass of wine in bars and restaurants could reduce alcohol consumption? This is what an English study suggests. Explanations with Doctor Martin Ducret, doctor and journalist at Doctor’s Daily.

franceinfo: What exactly does this study recommend?

Martin Ducret: Dyears this study published in Plos Medicine21 bars and restaurants in London have, for 1 month, removed 25cl doses of wine from their menus, leaving only those of 12cl and 17.5cl. Ultimately, wine consumption decreased by 7.6% and other alcohols, such as beer or cider, were not consumed more by compensation. Furthermore, despite this drop in the total volume of wine sold, bars and restaurants did not lose money because the profit margin on a small glass of wine is greater than that on a large one. VSThis study shows that in the absence of a large portion of alcohol, people turn to drinks with smaller quantities and ultimately drink less, with the same satisfaction.

This reduction really has not impacted the revenue of bars and restaurants?

No, and this is the great originality of this study. For Professor William Lowenstein, addictologist and president of SOS Addictions, “this experiment has the merit of proposing a strategy for reducing alcohol consumption by taking into account the economic impact of this reduction”. It is undeniable that reducing alcohol consumption, and not just wine, is a real public health issue. Alcohol is responsible in France for more than 40,000 premature and avoidable deaths each year for a social cost estimated at 118 billion euros. Be careful, we must also consider that a drop in consumption has repercussions on a whole section of the French economy: producers, distributors, bars and restaurants.

Would such an experiment be possible in France?

Yes, it is possible provided you adapt to French consumption habits. In general, the glasses of wine served in bars and restaurants in France mostly have a capacity of around 12cl, this is the famous balloon glass. 25cl is more in a pitcher, but that is not always offered: we often find half-liter pitchers or a whole bottle (75cl), which can encourage consumption. The right strategy therefore remains to be found, in order to reduce the consumption of wine in France, and other alcohols such as beer which has recently become the preferred alcohol of the French.

For further : The article on Plos Medicine (in English), and a study by Inserm.