New research suggests certain types of glasses could cause people to consume more alcohol.
The findings also suggest markings on the glass could help people consume alcohol more slowly, the University of Bristol reported.
"Excessive alcohol use is a major public health concern and there is a lot of interest in alcohol control strategies. It is important to determine what environmental factors are contributing to excessive use and how they can be altered to nudge drinkers towards more responsible consumption," said PhD student David Troy.
A team of researchers looked at 160 participants who were social drinkers with no history of alcohol problems, and randomly split them into two groups. One group was given beer in a curved glass that had measurements of a quarter, half and three quarters; the other received their alcoholic beverages in unmarked glasses of the same shape. The findings showed those with the volume-marked glasses took an average of 10.3 minutes to finish their drinks, while the unmarked group took 9.1 minutes.
In another study that took place in the real-world environments of three public houses, researchers observed pubs using straight-sided glasses reported lower alcohol consumption compared to those using curved glasses.
"The speed at which beer is drunk can have a direct effect on the level of intoxication experienced. This can also increase how much is consumed in a single drinking session. While many people drink alcohol responsibly, it is not difficult to have 'one too many' and become intoxicated," said senior researcher Angela Attwood. "Our research suggests that small changes such as glass shape and volume markings can help individuals make more accurate judgements of the volume they are drinking and hopefully drinkers will use this information to drink at a slower pace."
Bristol's Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group presented the study as part of a symposium on "Environmental influences on food and alcohol-related behavior."
