The Portman Group’s sixth annual survey in partnership with YouGov shows that young people are the biggest consumers of low and no-alcohol alternatives, with nearly half (44 per cent) of 18-24-year-olds surveyed considering themselves either occasional or regular drinkers of alcohol alternatives, compared to 31 per cent in 2022.

Trends also show that the younger generation is now the most sober age group overall, with 39 per cent of 18-24-year-olds not drinking alcohol at all.

The results show how these products have contributed to increasing moderation among UK drinkers – with a rise in respondents who have seen their alcohol consumption decrease as a result of low and no alcohol products (23 per cent compared to 21 per cent in 2022) and over a third (35 per cent) of those surveyed now consider themselves an occasional or regular drinker of alcohol alternatives – a significant increase from 2022 (29 per cent).

The research suggests low and no products have become an important and normal part of how the UK public moderate their drinking and tackle potential harm – with three quarters (75 per cent) of UK drinkers having at least tried a low and no alcohol alternative, compared to a third (33 per cent) of non-drinkers.

For the sixth year in a row, the most popular reasons to drink alcohol alternatives are to avoid drinking excessively at social events and to be able to drive home.

This reinforces how they could play an important role in tackling wider alcohol-related harm, such as drink driving, and aiding people in staying within the chief medical officer low-risk guidelines of 14 units per week.

Of those who could recall, UK consumers most often drink these products alternating with alcohol or on drink-free days during the week, and 83 per cent first tried an alcohol alternative through a product which shared branding with an alcoholic product.

Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group said, “It is welcome to see a further rise in the popularity of low and no alcohol alternatives as well as further evidence of how they are an important tool to help UK drinkers, particularly younger adults, to drink responsibly.

“The availability of alcohol alternatives has never been more abundant and we eagerly await the outcome of the recent UK Government consultation on low alcohol descriptors, which we hope will further facilitate the growth of the UK low and no alcohol market.”

Author: