The scientific journal BioMed Central (BMC Public Health) published this May 6th an article by Dr. Anna Blackwell about the conclusions derived from a study carried out by scientists from the Bristol Center for Biomedical Research and the universities of Bristol and Cambridge.
The researchers analyze whether greater availability of non-alcoholic beverages, compared to alcoholic beverages, increases their choice.
For Dr. Blackwell there is a common denominator for our leisure time “Whether we are meeting friends in a bar, eating out, or planning a night in at home, one of our first thoughts is often: ‘What shall I drink?’. The choice in bars, restaurants, and supermarkets is often overwhelming, with long menus, detailed of tasting notes, and special offers to review. The one consistent feature is that alcohol is everywhere.”
According to the data, in England, 1 in 3 men and 1 in 7 women drink above the recommended consumption, which increases the risk of developing alcohol-related diseases, including mouth, throat and breast cancer, strokes, and heart disease.
The study is focused on finding out if changing the drinking environment can influence the behavior of the drinker since, according to previous research, people are more likely to buy and eat healthier foods if less healthy options are replaced by healthier ones. This study investigated whether altering the availability of non-alcoholic beverages compared to alcoholic options would similarly affect people’s choices.
808 regular adult beer drinkers were asked to participate in the online study. They had to choose 1 drink from a display of non-alcoholic (soft drinks and non-alcoholic beer) and alcoholic (beer) options. They were shown 1 of the following 4 options: beverages that had the same ratio of nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages (2 of each, or 4 of each); 6 non-alcoholic and 2 alcoholic drinks and, finally, 2 non-alcoholic and 6 alcoholic drinks.
The conclusions are that the probabilities that consumers will choose a non-alcoholic drink are 71% higher when both the total number of drinks and the proportion of options in favor of non-alcoholic drinks increase; and 48% more when only the proportion of non-alcoholic options increases.
This study seems to demonstrate that actions to increase the availability of non-alcoholic beverages, particularly their proportion in relation to alcoholic beverages, could facilitate a decrease in the selection of alcoholic beverages by consumers.
The article ends up stating the evidence that from The Blue Dolphin Store we try to change: most bars and restaurants offer at least one type of non-alcoholic beer, but there is no relevance given to the product. The range of non-alcoholic beverages is often very limited. “These alcohol alternatives lack visibility and it requires greater effort for customers to choose them. However, the market for these drinks is growing, which is providing greater choice, and over time, increasing exposure to non-alcoholic drinks could help shift social norms around drinking these products. Interventions to increase the proportion of non-alcoholic drinks available are timely and of interest not only to policymakers but also to license-holders and drinks manufacturers.”
If you want to read the full article, click here.
