There are calls for better regulation of zero-alcohol beverages following new research suggesting they condition teenagers into a "harmful" drinking culture. 

The Australian study, commissioned by the Cancer Council, echoes concerns raised by the World Health Organisation about a lack of policy and regulation on the sale of these drinks.

Leon Booth from the George Institute for Global Health led the research, which involved focus group discussions with 44 Australian teenagers aged between 15 and 17 years old, and a national survey of 679 Australian teenagers in the same age bracket. 

"More than a third had tried zero-alcohol products, and we found that they were really quite attractive to a large proportion of adolescents," Dr Booth said. 

"The males tended to like the look of the beers, whereas the female participants really liked some of the more colourful cocktail drinks.

Dr Booth said the research showed that zero-alcohol products and marketing were likely making young people more familiar with alcohol brands and further normalising alcohol consumption.

He said young people could buy these drinks easily and were purchasing them to consume in a variety of situations.

The variety and availability of these drinks has increased in recent years, with more than 30 per cent of all consumers buying no-alcohol beer, cider, wines, spirits and ready-to-drinks in 2022.

The deputy chair of Cancer Council's Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical Activity Committee, Julia Stafford, said the organisation was calling on the federal government to better regulate zero-alcohol branded products.

"There are currently no standards limiting the ways they simulate alcoholic products, or restrictions on marketing or sales, meaning young people can purchase these products and are exposed to marketing in highly visible places such as supermarkets," she said. 

"This environment creates a public health risk to young Australians."

Energy drinks a bigger problem?

The focus groups and survey, while nationally representative, were weighted towards young people in the city.

So, what do young people in regional Australia think about these drinks?

Zelda Edwards has just turned 18 and lives in Berri in South Australia's Riverland, about three hours from Adelaide.

While they can now buy any drink they want, they have never really felt drawn to zero-alcohol products.

"There are some colourful ones, and ones with little animals like penguins on them that could be appealing," she said.

"But I think they're priced quite ridiculously … I'm not wasting my money on that when I'd rather buy Monster [energy drink] instead."

Zelda did feel sales of zero-alcohol drinks could be more regulated. 

"I don't want to see little kids walking around with fake alcohol trying to be hard," she said.

Li Ingle works at rural youth arts organisation Riverland Youth Theatre but has found little buzz for zero-alcohol products among the teenagers like Zelda that they work with.

"If it's got guarana or caffeine, that's what they're going to go for."

The 28-year-old said many of their peers enjoyed zero-alcohol drinks and hoped they remained widely available. 

"I think having more options that are not alcoholic is actually a safer situation," they said.

Products 'mimic' the look of alcohol

Alcohol and Drug Foundation evidence manager Eleanor Costello said while zero-alcohol products had helped adults substitute alcoholic drinks, they should be sold in licensed bottle shops.

"We're concerned about how these products mimic alcohol in the way they look, taste and are marketed, and that behavioural conditioning of young people," she said.

A spokesperson for the federal Department of Health said in a statement the government was providing more than $870 million over four years, from July 2023, to support drug and alcohol treatment services, prevention, research and communication activities.

"The Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code Scheme applies to advertising of low and zero-alcohol beverage products that are alcohol brand extensions," the spokesperson said.

Editor's note: Eliza Berlage is a board member of the Riverland Youth Theatre. The contribution from members of RYT was independently approved prior to publication.