Research Explores New Method to Address Binge Drinking

BBC News recently reported on new research by Aston University, which explored a new way to help young people control their drinking.

Aston University researchers found that more than 500 students from universities in the United Kingdom had no idea what a "unit" of alcohol looks like or what safe levels of alcohol intake are. The Aston team established that giving the students feedback on how their drinking compares with peers reduced their consumption.

Dr. Richard Cooke, one of the researchers and researcher Alice King, found that techniques used on people with serious drinking problems in emergency departments could be adapted to help reduce student drinking. Interventions for problem drinkers involve feedback from doctors and nurses to help them see what their problem is and how they might solve it.

Dr. Cooke said for students who don't realize their drinking levels are high the key is to get them to compare themselves to other people their own age.

The researchers told the students how much they drank in comparison to figures for other students. In their study almost all students thought they were less likely to be a binge drinker than the average student.

The researchers found giving students feedback on how their drinking compared with their peers was helpful in reducing their drinking.