The appeal of zero-alcohol products to teenagers has raised concerns about the drinks becoming a gateway to alcohol use later in life.
New research commissioned by the Cancer Council, found that more than half (56 percent) of Australian teenagers aged 15–17 surveyed said zero-alcohol products looked appealing and the packaging was attractive (54 percent).
Lead researcher Dr Leon Booth said the research showed zero-alcohol products and marketing were making young people more familiar with alcohol brands and normalising alcohol consumption.
“Zero-alcohol products potentially act as a trojan horse for the alcohol industry to get in front of young people, exposing them to additional alcohol marketing,” Dr Booth said.
He said 37 percent of teenagers surveyed had tried zero-alcohol products.
“In focus group discussions, some participants identified that zero-alcohol products could act as a gateway to future alcohol use by enabling young people to become accustomed to the taste of alcoholic products.”
Cancer Council Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical Activity Committee Deputy Chair Julia Stafford said many zero-alcohol products were manufactured by alcohol companies and designed to look and taste identical to their alcoholic counterparts, which provided alcohol brand exposure to young people in outlets not traditionally associated with alcohol.
“We already know that the more children and young people are exposed to alcohol marketing, the greater the likelihood that they will start to use alcohol earlier, and to drink at risky levels if they already use alcohol,’ Ms Stafford said.
“Alcohol brands claim zero-alcohol products are aimed at only adults, however the study found that young people often nominated their own age group as the one these products would most commonly appeal to.”
She said there was currently no standards limiting the ways companies simulate alcoholic products, or restrictions on marketing or sales.
“This means young people can purchase these products and are exposed to marketing in highly visible places such as supermarkets.
“This environment creates a public health risk to young Australians.”
Dr Booth said the study also found most (80 percent) of teenagers surveyed recalled seeing zero-alcohol products for sale, with more than half (58 percent) citing supermarkets.
He said the majority (76 percent) recalled seeing advertising for zero-alcohol products.
“Zero-alcohol ads are reaching young people through several avenues, including popular social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Young people thought these ads were funny, which was clearly memorable as they often recalled the alcoholic brands that promote their zero alcohol offerings in this way.
“It’s clear that we need to do more to protect children and young people from exposure to zero alcohol marketing to prevent future alcohol harms.”
