A person choosing a path to a healthy lifestyle with the help of an alcohol reduction website.

Rethinking Risky Drinking: Can an AI Website Help You Cut Back?

Avery Sinclair in Health & Wellness December 2025 • 4 min read.

"New research explores if a primary care-supported alcohol reduction website can be as effective as face-to-face interventions."

Risky drinking poses a significant global health challenge, with a substantial percentage of adults in Europe exceeding recommended alcohol consumption levels. These habits contribute to premature deaths and disability-adjusted life years, highlighting the urgent need for effective intervention strategies. In Catalonia, a concerning proportion of primary healthcare patients are classified as risky drinkers, yet only a fraction receive the necessary treatment. This gap between need and access underscores the importance of innovative approaches to address alcohol-related issues.

Early identification and brief interventions (BIs) have proven effective in primary care settings. However, time constraints, lack of financial incentives, and insufficient training often hinder their implementation. Web-based BIs (e-BIs) offer a promising alternative, providing a convenient and accessible platform for individuals to address their drinking habits. The EFAR Spain study explores whether facilitated access to an alcohol reduction website, supported by primary healthcare professionals (PHCPs), can be as effective as traditional face-to-face interventions.

The study, a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial, compares the effectiveness of a PHCP-supported website intervention against face-to-face BI in primary care centers in Catalonia, Spain. Participants will be invited to complete the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) online. Those identified as risky drinkers will be randomized to either face-to-face BI or the website intervention, with follow-up assessments conducted to measure changes in drinking behavior.

How Does the EFAR Spain Website Work?

A person choosing a path to a healthy lifestyle with the help of an alcohol reduction website.

The EFAR Spain website is a Spanish adaptation of the Down Your Drink (DYD) program developed in the UK. It integrates modules for screening, consent, assessment, randomization, and follow-up. Additionally, the website offers resources and tools to help individuals reduce their alcohol consumption.

Key features of the EFAR Spain website include:

Personalized support: Primary healthcare professionals can customize automated messages to patients, providing tailored advice and encouragement.
Interactive tools: The website offers various interactive tools and resources to help users track their drinking habits, set goals, and develop coping strategies.
Evidence-based strategies: The website incorporates evidence-based techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, self-control strategies, and motivational interviewing.
Accessibility: The website is accessible anytime, anywhere, allowing individuals to engage with the intervention at their own pace and convenience.

The study aims to determine whether this facilitated access to the website can be as effective as traditional face-to-face interventions, offering a potential solution to the barriers that often hinder the implementation of BIs in primary care.

The Future of Alcohol Intervention

The EFAR Spain trial offers valuable insights into the potential of web-based interventions to address risky drinking habits. By providing accessible and personalized support, such interventions can overcome barriers to traditional face-to-face approaches. If successful, the EFAR Spain model could be integrated into primary healthcare settings, offering a scalable and cost-effective solution to reduce alcohol-related harm.

About this Article -

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This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007130, Alternate LINK

Title: A Randomised Controlled Non-Inferiority Trial Of Primary Care-Based Facilitated Access To An Alcohol Reduction Website (Efar Spain): The Study Protocol

Subject: General Medicine

Journal: BMJ Open

Publisher: BMJ

Authors: Hugo López-Pelayo, Paul Wallace, Lidia Segura, Laia Miquel, Estela Díaz, Lidia Teixidó, Begoña Baena, Pierliugio Struzzo, Jorge Palacio-Vieira, Cristina Casajuana, Joan Colom, Antoni Gual

Published: 2014-12-01

Everything You Need To Know

What is the EFAR Spain website and how does it work?

The EFAR Spain website is a Spanish adaptation of the Down Your Drink (DYD) program. It is designed to help individuals reduce their alcohol consumption through various modules. It includes screening, consent, assessment, randomization, and follow-up components. Additionally, it offers resources and tools for users. Primary healthcare professionals (PHCPs) can provide personalized support by customizing automated messages, offering tailored advice, and encouragement.

Why is risky drinking considered a significant health concern?

Risky drinking is a significant global health concern because excessive alcohol consumption contributes to premature deaths and disability-adjusted life years. In Catalonia, a notable portion of primary healthcare patients are classified as risky drinkers. This highlights the urgent need for effective intervention strategies. The EFAR Spain study aims to address this by evaluating the effectiveness of a web-based intervention, supported by primary healthcare professionals, as a way to reduce alcohol-related harm.

What is the methodology behind the EFAR Spain study?

The study is a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. This means that it compares the effectiveness of the EFAR Spain website intervention, supported by primary healthcare professionals, against face-to-face brief interventions (BIs) in primary care centers. Participants identified as risky drinkers via the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) will be randomized to either face-to-face BI or the website intervention. The trial will then measure changes in drinking behavior through follow-up assessments.

What features are included in the EFAR Spain website?

The EFAR Spain website incorporates several key features to support users in reducing their alcohol consumption. These include personalized support from primary healthcare professionals who customize messages, interactive tools for tracking habits and setting goals, evidence-based strategies like cognitive-behavioral therapy, self-control strategies, and motivational interviewing, and accessibility anytime, anywhere. The website aims to provide a convenient and effective platform for individuals to address their drinking habits.

What are the potential benefits of using web-based interventions like the EFAR Spain website?

Early identification and brief interventions (BIs) have shown effectiveness in primary care. However, time constraints, lack of financial incentives, and insufficient training often limit their implementation. The EFAR Spain trial explores web-based BIs (e-BIs) as an alternative. If the website intervention proves as effective as face-to-face BIs, it could offer a scalable and cost-effective solution to overcome these barriers. Successful implementation of the EFAR Spain model could be integrated into primary healthcare settings, increasing access to support for those with risky drinking habits and reducing alcohol-related harm.