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This week, the Irish government formally opposed a proposal to apply existing restrictions on alcohol marketing to non-alcoholic adult beverage brands. "There is no public health consensus on whether the promotion of zero and low alcohol products will be a public health harm or benefit overall," a statement from leadership read, according to the Irish Times. The proposal stemmed from ongoing concerns that non-alcoholic versions of the existing products will attract youth and non-drinkers to the original versions containing alcohol. Though a source of much consternation among some members of the public health community and a growing subject of research, mostly abroad, industry advocates continue to insist that NA alternatives primarily serve as tools of moderation. Outsized Spending on Small Piece of the Market? Advocates for the new law didn't mince words in their allegations about industry intent. "It's really clear to the dogs in the street that the alcohol industry is exploiting the law and that there's a clear loophole in the law," said Padraig Rice, health spokesperson for the Social Democrat party proposing a bill to close said "loophole," RTE reported. He claimed that 00 products are just 1% of sales, but advertisers are "spending 25% of their outdoor alcohol budget" on them, "because they know this will sell more of the main alcohol product." The tactic is designed, Rice asserted, "to circumvent your law" and "advertise in areas where there are children.""Widespread" Uptake of NA Alternatives Could "Benefit" Public Health Irish public health minister Jennifer Murnane O'Connor confirmed opposition to the proposal on Tuesday by citing "insufficient evidence and the risk of unintended consequences," RTE wrote. But that ain't all. Though the government acknowledged the potential of just what Rice and others fear, with plans to study it further, it officially took a precisely opposite stance and noted a possible net-benefit to public health through the increased consumption of NA alternatives. "If there is a widespread substitution of zero or low alcohol products for alcohol products, this will be of benefit at a population health level and will reduce harm," the minister continued. "The advertising of these products in promoting their consumption potentially supports or increases this potential benefit."Applying Label Warnings to NAs a Legal Risk Note that the Irish proposal was also wrapped up in a broader law that restricts alcohol marketing in certain places and times and was also set to mandate health warnings, including cancer warnings, on labels. Implementation of the cancer warning was delayed as part of a tussle over US tariffs, recall. The proposed law sought to apply that warning requirement to non-alcoholic products as well. Part of the government's rejection was its fear of "a legal challenge as advertisements for products with none of the health risks associated with alcohol would be required to carry health warnings," according to its statement.Context Matters, "Muddying the Message," Down Under Researcher Claims The same concerns about NA advertising come up elsewhere as well. Ads placing non-alcoholic alternatives in health and wellness contexts are "muddying the message," Julia Stafford, an Australian researcher-advocate commented about a study of marketing there and in New Zealand, according to Health Service Daily. "It's concerning that alcohol companies would be presenting their products for us in situations that you would never consider using alcohol," she went on.The study found that 22 of 30 campaigns for 13 products "showed zero alcohol products in a traditional drinking context (e.g., a bar or pub), so it could be seen as an alternative to alcohol." So what's the concern? "Many" also placed the products in more "novel" contexts where alcohol is a no-no, like "water-based environments," "driving-related settings" and "adventure or outdoor activity locations." In Stafford's view, this is proof that the industry is "exploiting Australia's weak advertising rules." Going after NA advertising is a way to stiffen rules she claims "industry have set for themselves."Assumptions Baked into Assumptions Such advertising is "encouraging alcohol brands in more situations when the public health goal is to reduce exposure to alcohol marketing in order to reduce harm from alcohol," Stafford told the health press about the study. But there are plenty of assumptions wrapped up in that statement, adding a new twist to some old stories. Those older, familiar assumptions underpin plenty of public health advocacy around alcohol: 1) that advertising convinces people to drink when they weren't going to, instead of mostly impacting brand choice, and 2) that all alcohol consumption necessarily increases harm. Though framed as "science-backed," the reality is more complicated (and research into advertising has always been particularly soft.) Concerns about NA alternatives add a new assumption to the mix: advertising non-alc products mostly serves to build the base brand.US Market Suggests Existing Trends Continue After NA Launch These concerns are mostly raised abroad, but the assumption about strengthening the base brand is not borne out by results in the US. Heineken introduced 0.0 here in 2019 and even though the brand quickly ascended to the largest non-alcoholic beer brand in the country, the original Heineken still declined most years since. (That the unusual pandemic-period years of 2020-2021 immediately followed the introduction complicates the picture considerably, though.) The rise of Bud Zero into a top NA brand has also not noticeably slowed the decline of Budweiser. The NA version of Corona has not noticeably altered the trends of that mother brand, either. Michelob Ultra was a top growth brand before the introduction of the NA alternative and continues to be after the fact. The Guinness brand family returned to growth in 2024, but that was about two years after the introduction of 0.0 in the market.Mostly Consumed by Older, Wealthier Drinkers; Moderation for Whom? Advocates for NA alternatives continue to emphasize them as tools of moderation. That was the key message offered by Marcos Salazar, co-founder and CEO of the Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Assn during NABCA's Annual Conference in Phoenix last week. The organization focuses on beverages consumed "typically in adult occasions," Marcos said, before reviewing the small but fast-growing category's credentials. As has been the case from the outset, the vast majority of NA buyers still drink, some 93% according to a NielsenIQ report from earlier this year.So the trend is "driven by moderators," who "spend more on alcohol" than those who don't purchase NA, Marcos explained. They also tend to be older, led by Gen X, and more affluent. Persistently premium prices of NA alternatives underscore this point. But they also raise questions about accessibility and whether these tools of moderation appeal to (or are equally marketed to) less affluent buyers who tend to be more likely to experience alcohol-related harm.Cheers,

Ireland Won't Apply Alc Bev Ad Restrictions to NAs Amid Hand-Wringing About Impact

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