UK: More Britons drinking low and no alcohol beers than ever before

More Britons are drinking low and no alcohol beers, wines and spirits than ever before as they shun boozy lifestyles, a study reveals.

The trend is being largely driven by younger adults, who are most likely to embrace sobriety throughout the year, MSN reported on January 7.

Almost four in ten UK drinkers (38 per cent) are now also consuming low and no alcohol alternatives regularly or occasionally, up from 29 per cent in 2022.

And more than a quarter (29 per cent) of adults consuming these drinks cite ‘health and medical’ concerns as a key reason for sometimes choosing an alternative to the real thing.

But the most popular reason for avoiding a full-strength beverage is so they can drive home from social events (28 per cent), the poll of 2081 adults reveals.

The YouGov survey, commissioned by alcohol industry regulator the Portman Group, found one in four people (24 per cent) would like to see more more low and no options available on tap in pubs to further encourage them to switch.

They also want to see greater use of price promotions (30 per cent) and greater availability of low and no products in non-traditional hospitality spaces (26 per cent) such as nightclubs, theatres, cinemas and live music and event venues.

Young adults are the biggest consumers of low and no alcohol alternatives, with close to half (46 per cent) of 25 to 34 year olds surveyed considering themselves either an occasional or regular drinker of alcohol alternatives.

The younger generation also continues to be the most sober age group overall, with 39 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds not drinking alcohol at all.

The Portman Group said the results suggest these alternatives are helping people to ‘moderate’ their drinking, with 24 per cent of current alcohol drinkers stating that their weekly consumption has fallen due to low and no alcohol products.

Matt Lambert, the organisations’ chief executive, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see low and no alternatives continuing to soar in popularity, while helping to encourage more mindful and moderate consumption among UK alcohol drinkers.

‘We welcome the drinks and hospitality industry continuing to work together to increase choice, availability and visibility of low and no alcohol alternatives, and we continue to urge the UK government to provide us with the outcome of the recent consultation on low alcohol descriptors which will further facilitate growth of the UK low and no alcohol market.’

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