Government mulls banning low and no alcohol drinks for under-18s

The government is considering banning the sale of low and no alcohol drinks to under-18s, fearing that they could be “a gateway” to their alcoholic equivalents.

Health minister Ashley Dalton told the Telegraph that a non or low alcoholic beverage differs from soft drinks “as it is a beverage intentionally crafted to mimic traditional alcoholic drinks like beer, wine or spirits”.

She added: “This is a newly emerging area, but there is some evidence to suggest that exposure to alcohol-like products, even if low or zero alcohol, can normalise drinking, and become a gateway to alcohol consumption.

“Earlier alcohol use initiation is linked to a higher risk of harmful drinking patterns later in life.”

Responding to a Parliamentary written question, she said: “The government will explore measures to regulate access to no and low-alcohol products in line with other alcoholic beverages, including prohibiting sales to individuals under the age of 18 years old.”

The move comes in the wake of the British Beer and Pub Association’s (BBPA) expectation that a record 200 million pints of low and no alcohol beer were sold in 2025, a fifth up on 2024’s total of 170 million sales.

Low and no alcohol beer now accounts for 2.7% of the UK’s total beer market.

The BBPA called on the government to support innovation within the sector through changing the definition of alcohol free from 0.05% to 0.5% abv.

Recent data from KAM Insights also suggested that 22% of consumers say they are drinking more alcohol-free drinks compared to 12 months ago.

This is borne out in Greene King’s latest figures, with total sales of alcohol-free drinks up 36% in 2025 across its 1,600 managed pubs.

Elsewhere, Stonegate Group’s sales of low and no alcohol beers and ciders were up by 32% in the first quarter of 2025, totalling 271,000 serves.