Sir, – Alcohol Action Ireland seeks to conflate alcohol and non-alcohol products, which are distinct consumer offerings (Letters, March 31st).
Zero-alcohol products support moderation, and so the growth of this category is something we should all be encouraging, not discouraging.
Alcohol consumption continues to decline in Ireland, down by 30 per cent in the last 20 years. And fresh research from Cambridge University has illustrated the role non-alcohol drinks can play in supporting consumers in finding balance in how they drink by offering them choice.
There is clear demand for these products from adult consumers, and the public is already ahead on this issue when it comes to what they’re drinking and how they’re drinking. Non-alcohol beer’s share of the market in Ireland has grown by 275 per cent from 0.4 per cent in 2017 to 1.5 per cent in 2021, and significant growth is expected in the period ahead.
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Further, the marketing of these products is regulated by Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland guidelines, which the industry proudly abides by. It’s important that we don’t limit a category that is actually supporting the objective of the Public Health Alcohol Act of reducing alcohol consumption. – Yours, etc,
CORMAC HEALY,
Director,
Drinks Ireland,
Ibec,
Dublin 2.