Comparing the price of alcohol-free and regular strength drinks with Abi StevelyComparing the price of alcohol-free and regular strength drinks with Abi Stevely
Addiction Audio
Dr Elle Wadsworth talks with Dr Abi Stevely about how alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks are priced compared with regular-strength alcohol in Great Britain. The conversation focuses on market data, consumer behaviour, and what these price patterns might mean for alcohol policy and harm reduction.
20:26•2 Oct 2026
Are Alcohol-Free Drinks Really Cheaper? Pricing No/Lo vs Regular Alcohol
Episode Overview
- In the UK, alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks (no/lo) are defined as up to 1.2% ABV, with alcohol-free usually labelled 0.0%.
- Shelf prices for no/lo products are generally lower than for regular-strength alcohol, but people end up paying more for no/lo beer in practice.
- Top-selling no/lo products are often marketed as premium brands and are sold in smaller, less cost-efficient packs than regular beer and cider.
- No/lo drinks may be used by some people to cut down on alcohol, but current quantitative evidence does not clearly show population-level reductions in consumption.
- From a policy angle, increasing the price of alcohol is likely to be more effective for reducing alcohol-related harm than reducing prices of no/lo drinks.
“"Nolo drinks that are sold in shops are cheaper than alcoholic drinks overall... but in practice, people pay 7% more for nolo beers compared to regular strength beer."”
What are the hidden costs behind swapping your pint for a 0.0% version? Addiction Audio digs into that question as Dr Elle Wadsworth chats with Dr Abi Stevely from the Sheffield Addictions Research Group about the price gap between alcohol-free, low-alcohol, and regular-strength drinks in Great Britain. Abi starts by breaking down what counts as "no/lo" in the UK – anything up to 1.2% ABV – and explains how this market has grown rapidly since around 2015, especially for beer.
You’ll hear who is actually buying these drinks (hint: it’s more heavy drinkers than non-drinkers), and why they’re seen as a potential tool to help people cut down, even though the evidence on long-term impact is still mixed. Using detailed market research data, Abi talks through how prices were analysed by barcode, standard serving size, and two core measures: prices on the shelf versus prices people actually paid. The surprising bit?
"We found that the nolo products available on shelves were cheaper generally than regular strength alcoholic drinks. But when we looked at the prices paid, we found that people were paying more for their nolo beer." Smaller pack sizes and premium branding seem to be big parts of that story.
The conversation also touches on why people often *feel* like alcohol-free options are expensive, especially in pubs, and how comparisons with soft drinks like lemonade or cola may shape that perception. Abi finishes by reflecting on what all this might mean for alcohol policy, stressing that raising alcohol prices is likely to be more effective than cutting prices on no/lo drinks.
If you’ve ever wondered whether that alcohol-free lager is really worth the money, this focused, research-heavy chat gives you plenty to think about.
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.