Zero alcohol drink risks in the spotlight
Better regulation and community education are needed to manage the risks associated with zero-alcohol drinks.
A new article in The Conversation by Associate Professor Shalini Arunogiri and Anthony Hew highlights their research into risks that may be associated with zero-alcohol drinks.
While zero-alcohol drinks pose lower risks than products that contain alcohol, the research paper calls for the risks associated with zero-alcohol to be better understood by regulators, practitioners and the public.
Potential risks outlined in the article include:
- the risk that zero-alcohol drinks may trigger cravings and desire to drink alcohol among people with a history of alcohol addiction
- the lack of regulations about how and where zero-alcohol drinks are promoted and offered for purchase, which may encourage an increase in people purchasing alcoholic drinks, or set up alcohol consumption as harmless
- the potential that zero-alcohol drinks may act as a gateway to early or problematic drinking among children.
The article also highlights the lack of evidence to support the benefits of using zero or low-alcohol drinks to help people reduce the amount of alcohol they drink, and calls for better regulation, community education and practitioner education in order to mitigate the risks.
Read the article in The Conversation.
Access the brief report, including advice for practitioners.