Deputy Editor of the British Medical Journal Offers Solution for U.K. Binge Drinking: Make Smaller Bottles of Wine

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A recent report of binge drinking among wine aficionados in some of the more affluent British circles has prompted a rather simple solution: offer wine in half bottles.

BBC News reports that Trish Groves, the deputy editor of the British Medical Journal, made the suggestion because people in the United Kingdom have little choice when buying wine. The amount of wine in a standard bottle is 750 milliliters, about 1.6 pints.

"It's no wonder Britain's middle classes are getting wasted," BBC News quotes Groves as saying. "It's all too tempting to finish the bottle there and then to avoid waste," she told the BBC.

Using her own experiences, Grove, said that her local wine store was typical of the problem throughout the United Kingdom - almost all wine is sold in full bottles.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association was receptive to the idea, BBC News said. "As an industry, we're always keen to provide our consumers with a range of options to choose from," a spokesperson is quoted as saying.