- The cost of non-alcoholic drinks could exceed those on a tighter budget
The cost of non-alcoholic drinks could reduce their impact on the country’s health, a report has warned.
The popularity of such drinks has skyrocketed over the past decade – especially among those who want to live healthier lives by reducing their weekly wine and beer intake.
But any improvement in the health of the general population could be set back because the cost of no or low-alcohol drinks could push the price down for those on tighter budgets, the report suggests.
Most alternative drinks cost the same or more than the alcoholic versions. A report last week showed how non-alcoholic drinks have risen in price in the run-up to so-called dry January – when many Brits will go without booze for a month.
In the first study of its kind, researchers examined whether these drinks reduced alcohol-related harm. They analyzed the consumption and sales of beers, ciders, wines, spirits and ready-to-drink drinks with less than 1.2 percent alcohol by volume in 2022.
The cost of non-alcoholic drinks could reduce their impact on the country’s health, a report has warned. Pictured is Sparklingly Sober, an alcohol-free drink
The popularity of such drinks has skyrocketed over the past decade – especially among those who want to live healthier lives by reducing their weekly wine and beer intake
In the first study of its kind, researchers examined whether these drinks reduced alcohol-related harm. They analyzed the consumption and sales of beers, ciders, wines, spirits and ready-to-drink drinks with less than 1.2 percent alcohol by volume in 2022
A third of adults drank little or no alcoholic drinks, while one in five did so at least once a month. They were popular with heavy drinkers, who were also likely to drink them more often than lighter or non-drinkers. The wealthy were more likely to consume little or no alcoholic drinks than people from poorer backgrounds, the authors found.
They suggested that similar price tags for alcoholic equivalents put some people off.
John Holmes from the University of Sheffield, who carried out the research, said: ‘It’s good to see evidence that high-risk drinkers try little or no alcoholic drinks.
‘However, these drinks are often expensive. That’s a problem because alcohol causes the most harm among the more disadvantaged groups. If those groups cannot afford ‘no/few’ drinks, it could mean we see only small improvements in public health.”
Retailers sold more than 57 million liters of no/low drinks in 2021 – the equivalent of one liter per adult in Britain and 1.06 per cent of all alcohol sales, worth £221 million.
Most drinks were made by the major alcohol brands, with low-alcohol beer being the most popular product, accounting for more than three-quarters of drinks sold.
By using high-quality ingredients or new methods of extracting flavor, the drinks were often more expensive than alcoholic drinks.
Professor Brian Ferguson of the National Institute for Health and Care Research, which funded the report, said: ‘No and low alcohol products remain expensive. Hopefully, prices will drop over time as technological advances reduce production costs.”
Figures from analyst Assosia of The Grocer magazine showed last week that the price of nine non-alcoholic beers, including Birra Moretti Zero and Guinness Draft 0.0, have risen 22.3 percent at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons since the start of December.
Matt Lambert, of the industry-funded Portman Group, said: ‘Concerns around alcohol alternatives that share the brand name with mainstream drinks are unfounded, as research shows these brands help consumers reduce their alcohol consumption.’