Low & no survey launched to let industry inform policy
Alcohol-free social impact business Club Soda has launched what it claims is the first ‘benchmarking’ survey of the low, no and mid-strength sector, aimed at gathering data to inform government policymaking. The survey is open to low & no brands, to ensure that they get a voice.
This comes after the government announced an intent to “tackle harmful alcohol consumption by introducing new standards for alcohol labelling” and “support further growth in the no- and low-alcohol market” in its NHS 10-year health plan.
Two areas policymakers will be looking at changing this year are ‘what counts’ as alcohol-free and making recommendations on whether such products should be treated the same as alcohol (in terms of age ID etc.).
The latter suggestion has been controversial, with the industry hitting back against Labour, which likened under 18s having no-alcohol drinks to a ‘gateway’ drug, in a statement by the Department of Health and Social Care.
Club Soda warned that without clear, coordinated input from producers, retailers and other stakeholders, the category risks “being defined without those closest to it being involved”.
Its co-founder, Laura Willoughby MBE, added: “The sector either shows up, or gets shaped without us.
“The decisions being made this year will have long-term consequences for how alcohol-free and mid-strength drinks are produced, marketed and sold in the UK.”
The survey will look at the size of the market, its current contribution to the UK economy, and its future potential for growth, in response to questions from DEFRA.
The low & no sector is increasingly popular in the UK. A report at the end of last year found that 49% of young people are now choosing low- and no-alcohol drinks to moderate their drinking – up from 28% in 2018 (as Harpers reported).
The same data also showed that between 2018 and 2025, consumption of no-alcohol drinks increased from 18% to 31%, while low-alcohol drinks grew from 25% to 33%.
Low & no brands are encouraged to complete the survey by 24 April.
More information is available here.
Image Credit – Désirée_ on Pixabay
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