Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

THE Portman Group’s 6th annual survey in partnership with YouGov shows that young people are the biggest consumers of low and no alcohol alternatives, with 44% 18 to 24 year olds who drink alcohol considering themselves either occasional or regular drinkers of alcohol alternatives, compared to 31% in 2022.

Trends also show that the younger generation is now the most sober age group overall, with 39% of all:- 18 to 24 year olds surveyed saying they don’t drink 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 (20% compared to 17% in 2022)** and 35% of those surveyed now consider themselves an occasional or regular drinker of alcohol alternatives; a significant increase from 2022 (29%).

Our research continues to tell a positive story of how low and no products have become an important and normal part of how the UK public moderate their drinking and tackle potential harm; with 75% of UK drinkers having at least tried a low and no alcohol alternative, compared to 33% of non-drinkers.

For the 60th year in a row, the most popular reasons to drink alcohol alternatives are to avoid drinking excessively at social events and being 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's low lisk 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% 1st 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.”

For more information about the Portman Group, please visit:- PortmanGroup.Org.UK.

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