Fears non-alcoholic beers are becoming gateway drinks

It’s hard not to love an afternoon at the pub. Sharing a beer with mates is an integral part of our culture.

But there’s been a shift in recent times that means more Aussies are at the bar ordering non-alcoholic drinks.

In fact, it’s a global trend, with more than 61 million people purchasing non or low-alcohol products last year. That’s almost doubled since 2022, when there were 38 million buyers.

Big brands are embracing the move to non-alcoholic beer, but its availability on supermarket shelves is raising concerns that these products could become “gateway drinks” for young people.

“Your eight-year-old is going to be exposed to branding that’s the same, often, as an alcohol product,” clinical addiction psychiatrist Professor Shalini Arunogiri said.

She raised the question of whether or not we should leave it to supermarkets to regulate branding.

Currently, Woolworths alerts attendants at checkouts to approve the purchase of non-alcohol drinks. The supermarket giant said it had also implemented age verification, based on customer feedback. However, there is no legal requirement.