When pubs, bars and restaurants in England removed the largest size of wine sold by the glass, consumers drank less alcohol.
According to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine by Theresa Marteau of the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, and colleagues, in 21 licensed establishments in England, the removal of the largest single serving of wine from the menu reduced the volume of wine sold.
Alcohol consumption is the fifth leading factor contributing to premature death and disease worldwide. Alcohol consumption is influenced by many factors in the physical and economic environments of populations. One of the proposed interventions to curb excessive alcohol consumption involves reducing the size of the servings of alcoholic beverages sold by the glass, but there is little real evidence of its effectiveness.
In the new study, the researchers asked 21 licensed establishments in England to remove from their menus the largest glass size of wine – normally 250 ml – for four weeks. The researchers then tracked the total volume of wine, beer and cider sold by each establishment.
Over the four weeks, the total volume of wine sold by the licensed establishments fell by 7.6%, and there was no overall increase in beer and cider sales. There was an uptick in sales of smaller wine glasses – usually 125 ml and 175 ml – but with no impact on bottled wine sales or on beer and cider sales.
Despite the decrease in wine volume sold, there was no change in daily revenue, which probably reflects a higher profit margin for the smaller wine glasses. Overall, the study suggests that when the largest wine portion is not available, people opt for smaller options and, ultimately, drink less alcohol.
“This suggests that this is a promising intervention to reduce alcohol consumption in populations, which deserves to be considered as part of alcohol licensing regulations,” say the authors.
Marteau adds: “Removing the largest glass portion of wine in 21 licensed establishments reduced the volume of wine sold, in line with the wealth of research showing that smaller portions reduce the amount we eat. This could become a new intervention to improve population health by reducing the amount we drink.”
