Almost half of Britain’s youngest drinkers are turning down booze for low or no-alcohol alternatives, a survey has found.

The study, for industry body the Portman Group and carried out by YouGov, found 44% of 18 to 24-year-olds consider themselves to be either occasional or regular drinkers of alcohol alternatives, up from 31% in 2022.

Polling also found the age group were the most sober overall, with 39% not drinking alcohol at all, and showed that some who tried the substitutes said it helped them cut down on their drinking.

Some 23% said their intake decreased while opting for low or no-alcohol drinks, up slightly from 2022’s 21%.

Portman Group chief executive Matt Lambert said: “It is welcome to see a further rise in the popularity of low and no-alcohol alternatives as well as further evidence of how they are an important tool to help UK drinkers, particularly younger adults, to drink responsibly.

“The availability of alcohol alternatives has never been more abundant and we eagerly await the outcome of the recent UK government consultation on low-alcohol descriptors, which we hope will further facilitate the growth of the UK low and no-alcohol market.”

It comes after one in 10 UK drinkers shared they think they have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, according to an annual survey released in November.

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The figures were released as part of Drinkaware’s Annual Monitor, which also found that many more people believe their country has a drinking problem – 56% in England, 66% in Scotland, 63% in Northern Ireland and 38% in Wales.

Fewer drinkers think they are the ones with the issue, with 36% of respondents most likely to be concerned for a friend’s drinking habits.

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