The use of alcohol-free and low alcohol drinks in attempts to restrict alcohol consumption: findings from a cross-sectional survey
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: • 33 % of those who tried to restrict drinking used no/lo drinks to support their attempt. • People who regularly consumed no/lo drinks and who tried to restrict drinking due to concerns about future health problems were more likely to use no/lo drinks to support their attempt. • It was inconclusive whether or not using no/lo drinks to restrict drinking was associated with the self-reported success of restriction attempts. The sale and consumption of alcohol-free and low alcohol drinks (no/lo drinks) has increased substantially in many high-income countries, including Great Britain (GB). Some people report that using no/lo drinks helped them to restrict (i.e., reduce or stop) their drinking. This study investigated the sociodemographic characteristics of people who use no/lo drinks to restrict drinking and whether consuming no/lo drinks in an attempt to restrict drinking was associated with whether an attempt was successful. We analysed four waves of data (2023–2024) from a nationally-representative cross-sectional survey (Alcohol Toolkit Study) with 1022 GB adults (16+) who attempted to restrict drinking in the last year. Among those, 33 % used no/lo drinks to support the attempt and 77 % reported reduced alcohol consumption since the restriction attempt. Using no/lo drinks to restrict drinking was more common among those consuming no/lo drinks at least monthly (OR adj = 6.34, 95 % CI = 4.63–8.75), and those who attempted to restrict drinking out of concerns about future health problems (OR adj = 1.77, 95 % CI = 1.27–2.49). There was inconclusive evidence on whether using no/lo drinks to restrict drinking was associated with self-reported success of the restriction attempt (OR = 1.47, 97.5 % CI = 1.00–2.19, BF = 5.43; OR adj = 1.26, 97.5 % CI = 0.81–2.00, BF = 1.48). Given the inconclusive association between the use of no/lo and success of the restriction attempts, further research is needed to determine whether no/lo use supports reductions in alcohol consumption and to understand underlying causal mechanisms.
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,350
OpenAlex ID: W4415078164