Problem drinkers who received informational mailings reduced their binge drinking by 10 percent, according to a study by University of Alberta researchers.

The study was unique in that it focused on the general population, not known problem-drinking subcategories like university students or people seeking treatment for addictions. Recipients had previously expressed an interest in self-help.

"While these are important target groups, university students only represent a small fraction of drinkers in the general population who engage in heavy alcohol consumption and get into problems," said lead study author Cameron Wild. "As for screening for alcohol problems in health care, busy health care professionals often don't enquire about alcohol problems. Our study was designed to fill this gap. We showed that simply mailing brief self-help materials to interested adults in the general public can be an effective way to expand the reach and impact of brief alcohol interventions."

The mailings asked recipients to compare their drinking to that of the general population. Recipients were checked after six months to determine changes in their alcohol use. "Many heavy drinkers mistakenly believe that their behavior is more common than it actually is," Wild said. "By seeing how their alcohol use compares to actual population norms, this can motivate heavy drinkers to reevaluate their use of alcohol."

The research was published in the journal Addiction.