Pints have been a staple of British drinking life since 1698, when an Act of Parliament made it the official legal measure for beer and ale.

However, a Cambridge study published this week is looking to change that. Professor Theresa Marteau and her colleagues found that the classic Imperial pint could be replaced by a slightly smaller serving to keep us healthy.

“As scientists we have generated evidence for a potentially effective intervention that policy-makers could use to cut alcohol consumption to improve the health of the nation,” Marteau told Varsity.

“This could be used alongside established interventions including increasing prices and restricting advertising,” she continued.

Marteau’s study involved replacing the usual largest serving size with ⅔ pint glasses at 13 pubs across the country. Customers were told that the slightly-less-than-pint-sized glasses were the best they were going to get, and researchers measured how much alcohol was sold that month, as well as the months before and after – when drinks were served as normal.

Researchers found that the daily volume of beer sold after the pint was scrapped fell by 9.7%. This isn’t surprising, as a similar study in January showed wine sales fell when the largest glass size – usually 250ml – was cut.

The health-conscious study has been met with some resistance, including from Labour MP Josh Simons, who told the BBC he would not support a ban on the pint. “I love a pint and the leader of the Labour Party Keir Starmer loves a pint,” he said. Pints are “what it means to be drinking in a British pub”.

Marteau told Varsity her team did expect some backlash when they published the study: “There will be winners and losers for all effective interventions that reduce our consumption of alcohol.”

Marteau also said that drinking less would improve our health, cut cancer risk, and reduce crime and disorder, including violence against women. “The alcohol industry would be the main loser,” she told Varsity.

At the moment, draught beer must legally be available in one of two sizes in England – the pint or the half. But in mainland Europe, beer is often served in much smaller glasses. The deceptively named American pint is almost 100ml smaller than an Imperial pint, and an Australian schooner is famously easier to down.

Luckily for big drinkers, the study had its limitations, and the pint could be safe for now. In some locations, researchers found that while beer sales went down, wine sales went up. And of the 13 pubs studied, 11 were in London or Brighton and Hove – so results might be skewed toward the south.