A new study has found that combining awareness about alcohol-related cancer risks with tracking each drink consumed can effectively reduce alcohol intake. The researchers argue that pairing information regarding the cancer link with practical habits, such as drink counting, makes it easier for people to cut back on excessive drinking.

Heavy alcohol consumption is linked to a wide range of health conditions, including early death, heart disease, gastrointestinal disease, and increased dementia. While heavy drinkers have greater risks for health problems, moderate drinkers still have a higher chance of alcohol-related cancers.

According to Professor Simone Pettigrew, lead author of the study from The George Institute for Global Health, the issue is serious in Australia. "Harmful alcohol use in Australia is a major health issue—it is associated with increased risk of injury, chronic diseases including alcohol-related cancers, and premature death," she said.

Surprisingly, most people are unaware that alcohol is classified as a carcinogen—a substance that causes cancer. According to Professor Pettigrew, that is important information drinkers should know.

"Many people don't know that alcohol is a carcinogen—it's important information that drinkers should have access to," she explained. "But 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."

What did the study find?

The research was conducted as a set of three surveys, completed over a period of weeks. A total of 7,995 participated in the first round. In the second round, there were 4,588 participants after three weeks. In the final survey, 2,687 finished after another three weeks.

The results show that linking cancer warnings to the simple act of counting drinks would motivate participants to reduce alcohol consumption.

"We found that pairing information about alcohol and cancer with a particular practical action—counting their drinks—resulted in drinkers reducing the amount of alcohol they consumed," said Professor Pettigrew.

Solution for healthier drinking

The results provide a simple and effective way to encourage healthier drinking behaviors. With scarce resources for alcohol harm-reduction campaigns, this combination of education and practical behavior may be the key to helping people make lasting changes.

Being educated and empowered to make simple, reduced risk-reducing steps on the basis of alcohol-cancer awareness does not come from being aware of this relationship.

For someone who might wish to drink more responsibly, a key reminder from this study is that small changes can make big differences.