A brief provision of non-alcoholic beverages reduces alcohol consumption: A pilot, single-arm study

Our previous study demonstrated that providing three cases of non-alcoholic beverages on separate occasions significantly reduced alcohol consumption among heavy drinkers. However, interventions with reduced costs are required, particularly for health promotion in the workplace. Therefore, we investigated whether a single provision of one case of non-alcoholic beverages could reduce alcohol consumption among workers who drink heavily. This was a single-center, open-label, single-arm study. Participants aged 20 years or older who usually drink heavily but were not diagnosed with alcohol dependence were recruited. Each participant received one case of free non-alcoholic beverages (twenty-four 350 mL cans). From three weeks before to six weeks after the provision of non-alcoholic beverages, the consumption of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages was recorded in a drinking diary. Twenty-four individuals participated in this study, one of whom dropped out. Changes in alcohol consumption were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance and within-individual associations with non-alcoholic beverage consumption were examined using repeated measures correlation. Alcohol consumption significantly decreased three weeks after the intervention compared to baseline, but this effect was no longer evident at six weeks after the intervention. The reduction in alcohol consumption was associated with the replacement of non-alcoholic beverages without changes in the total intake of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. These findings demonstrate that even a one-time provision of non-alcoholic beverages may be an effective, scalable strategy to reduce alcohol consumption among heavy-drinking workers. Trial registration: UMIN000052709, Registered November 6, 2023.