Text messages can cut binge drinking in young adults

Sending young adults text messages might be an effective way to reduce binge drinking and alcohol-related injuries, a new study suggests.

A University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine-led trial to test a text message-based programme aimed at reducing binge drinking is the first to show that such an intervention can successfully produce sustained reductions in alcohol consumption in young adults.

The findings showed that the programme, designed by lead author Brian Suffoletto, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Pitt, reduced binge drinking and alcohol-related injuries when compared to a control group and a self-monitoring group.

The positive effect continued six months after the programme ended. “Given the low cost to send text messages and the capacity to deliver them to almost every at-risk young adult, a text message-based intervention targeting binge drinking could have a public health impact on reducing both immediate and lo-ng-term health problems,” said Suffoletto.