Half of young adults now choosing no and low
A new report by Drinkaware published this week details that 49% of young adults are now choosing no and low-alcohol drinks to moderate their drinking.
This is nearly double the number of young adults in 2018, when 28% were choosing no and low options.
The report looked at trends in data since 2018 from Drinkaware’s Annual Monitor, a nationally representative survey of the UK’s drinking habits.
It used this information to determine who is using no and low-alcohol drinks to moderate, how this has changed, and what this means for the UK’s drinking culture.
Drinkaware’s research found that motivations for choosing no and low options vary by gender, socio-economic background, age and type of drinker, ranging from health to curiosity.
The study found that uptake of alcohol-free drinks among risky drinkers (those who drink more than 14 units per week, the Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk guideline) has more than tripled, rising from 7% in 2018 to 23% in 2025.
Moreover, 59% of risky drinkers who consume these products use them instead of regular-strength alcohol, and 25% use them as a replacement or an addition depending on the occasion.
Only 9% said that they drink no and low-alcohol options alongside regular alcohol. These trends – which suggest that low-alcohol options have real potential to reduce alcohol harm – are not only confined to risky drinkers. According to the study, 44% of UK adults are choosing such drinks to moderate their drinking, which is up from 31% in 2018.
When looking at alcohol-free options specifically – 31% of UK drinkers now opt for no-alcohol options, up from 18% in 2018. Consumption of low alcohol products increased from 25% to 33% in the same period.
Karen Tyrell, CEO of the charity Drinkaware, commented: “It is great to see young adults leading the charge in the growth of no & low drinks. But it is the rise in their use by risky drinkers which shows their potential for helping to reduce alcohol harm.
“The Government’s Ten-Year Health Plan for England rightly highlights their growth as an important tool in tackling alcohol harm. Swapping a regular beer, wine or cocktail for one of the many no and low-alcohol alternatives is an easy way to cut down on your drinking.”
These findings come as the government is set to launch a public consultation to whether to increase the threshold for a product to be alcohol free from 0.05% to 0.5%.
The full report can be read here.
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