Teenagers consider zero-alcohol beverages to be a type of alcoholic drink, leading Flinders University researchers to voice grave concerns about the impact of their exposure to zero-alcohol branding and advertising.
"Our new study shows that teenagers classify zero-alcohol drinks as a type of alcoholic beverage, rather than as a soft drink," says lead author Dr Ashlea Bartram from the Flinders Health and Medical Institute (FHMRI).
It means that exposure to zero-alcohol drinks in advertising or retail spaces such as the local supermarket, may have the same type of negative effects that come from exposure to alcoholic beverages.
"This is a major concern because there is a well-established association between frequency of alcohol advertising exposure and alcohol consumption among adolescents," says Dr Bartram. "In other words, the more alcohol advertising a young person is exposed to, the more alcohol they consume."
Zero-alcohol drinks (<0.5% alcohol) resemble alcohol in appearance and taste, and are most often advertised under established alcohol brands (known as 'brand extensions') or as entirely new products ('new to world').
Dr Bartram warns there are few current restrictions on zero-alcohol drinks, which are freely available for sale to all age groups, including in places where alcohol is not available, such as supermarkets - and in these places they are often located alongside soft drinks.
The study published in International Journal of Drug Policy involved more than 300 teenagers aged 15-to-17 years participating in a reaction-time experiment, viewing 20 randomly ordered images of alcoholic drinks, zero-alcohol drinks and soft drinks.
They were asked to quickly indicate whether the images made them think of alcohol. Their response time and agreement levels were recorded and analysed.
The study was designed to further understand their perceptions of zero-alcohol drinks and the impacts these perceptions may have on their future alcohol consumption.
"Most images of alcoholic drinks (94.4%), the 'brand extension' zero-alcohol drinks (90.7%), and 'new-to-world' zero-alcohol (85.6%) drinks prompted them to think of alcohol, compared to just 5.2% of images of soft drinks," says Dr Bartram.
"They were slightly quicker to categorise 'brand extension' (such as Heineken or Gordon's) zero-alcohol drinks as alcohol rather than 'new-to-world' drinks - but overall it was clear that the vast majority of these products were prompting teens to think of alcohol.
"Put simply, in the majority of cases, young people associate zero-alcohol drinks with alcohol, so there is now a strong argument for some sensible restrictions to be made on where these drinks can be sold and advertised."
Dr Bartram says that it is well documented that alcohol consumption is particularly harmful for young people's developing brains, bodies and mental health due to its neurodevelopmental impacts, and can increase a young person's risk of illness, accident, and injury.
"Young people who start drinking alcohol at an early age are also more likely to drink alcohol in harmful ways, or become dependent on alcohol in later life," Dr Bartram says.
The Australian Alcohol Guidelines recommend that children and people under 18 years old should not drink alcohol to reduce their risk of injury and health risks.
Australia's National Preventive Health Strategy 2021-2030 has also set an ambitious goal to limit alcohol consumption among youths aged 14 to 17 years old to less than 10% by 2030.
"The rise of zero-alcohol drinks presents a unique regulatory challenge. Many of these beverages feature branding and designs that closely mirror conventional alcoholic drinks, contributing to the normalisation of alcohol consumption for younger Australians," says Dr Bartram.
"As the boundaries between alcohol and its alternatives blur, the safeguarding of young Australians against the dangers of alcohol consumption must remain a central focus in public health initiatives.
"We're now calling on governments to reconsider the regulations on how zero-alcohol drinks are marketed and sold."
The article - 'Alcohol advertising in disguise: Exposure to zero-alcohol products prompts adolescents to think of alcohol - reaction time experimental study' by Ashlea Bartram, Murthy Mittinty, Md Abdul Ahad, Svetlana Bogomolova, Joanne Dono, Aimee L. Brownbill, Nathan J. Harrison, Jacqui Garcia, Ivana Glavinic, Mia May and Jacqueline Bowden - was published in International Journal of Drug Policy. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104753
See also: https://news.flinders.edu.au/blog/2023/12/18/helping-or-hindering-alcohol-in-disguise/ and https://news.flinders.edu.au/blog/2024/03/05/proceed-with-caution-the-meteoric-rise-of-0-alcohol-drinks/
For support or advice contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline: 1800 250 015
Acknowledgements: This research was funded by the Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation (Project Reference: 24-36090441). AB, MAA, and JB receive funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to support research regarding alcohol and other drugs.
