Focus Areas
Moderation & Responsible Drinking
The World Brewing Alliance and our members are committed to promoting moderation and responsible drinking.
Brewers promote moderation and responsible drinking in many ways:
Beer is already a low-alcohol choice, and we have developed and promoted lower- and no-alcohol options to give consumers a variety of choices to drink in moderation.
We serve our products in standard packaging and portions, making it easy for consumers to count their drinks and know how much they’re drinking.
We leverage our marketing to reinforce moderation as the social norm.
We train sellers and servers of alcohol to promote moderation and responsible drinking.
We invest in education initiatives to prevent underage drinking and drink driving.
Tips for moderate drinking
To make sure your drinking is enjoyable, moderate and responsible:
- Pace yourself: be aware of how much you are drinking and over what time period. Drink slowly and space your drinks with no-alcohol options.
- Know how strong your drink is. Cocktails may contain more alcohol than expected, and freehand pours are usually heavier than recipes suggest. The same goes for wine:
refills and free pours make it easy to lose count of what you’re drinking. Stay aware of both strength and quantity.
- Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Eat food before and during your drinking occasions.
- Make a plan before you start drinking to get home safely. If you are driving, choose no-alcohol options.
When is moderate drinking not enough?
If any of the following apply to you, you should abstain from drinking alcohol:
- Under the legal drinking age
- Planning to drive, operate machinery or engage in a high-risk activity
- Pregnant or planning to become pregnant
- Taking medications that do not interact well with alcohol
- Have a medical condition that could be made worse by drinking
- Cannot control drinking
Be candid with your doctor about your drinking habits.
- Take care of your health by talking with your healthcare provider about your diet and drinking habits. This is especially important if you’re drinking to cope, if it’s causing conflict, or if friends or family have expressed concern.
- Reputable tools can help you evaluate your drinking habits. For example, the CDC’s “Check Your Drinking” tool walks you through questions about your alcohol use and then gives personalized feedback and a plan if you want to drink less.
- A doctor or medical professional can help you evaluate your drinking. Talk honestly with these professionals about your alcohol use – they can offer assessments and refer you to local support services if needed.
More Ways the Beer Industry Supports Responsible Drinking
Brewers have made major investments in new equipment, processes, and marketing to develop and promote lower- and no-alcohol products because consumers are more likely to shift to them when they’re backed by brands they love, readily available, creatively marketed, and, of course, delicious.
Read more >>
Brewers have invested in crafting lower- and no-alcohol beer Read more >>
Consumer research from Portman Group (2022) shows the top reasons cited for drinking low and no alcohol are being able to drive home safely from social events and taking part in social events without drinking to excess (57%).
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Giving consumers options to drink responsibly Read more >>
In a consumer study by the Portman Group, one in five (21%) of consumers in the UK who drank alcohol said that their weekly consumption has decreased since first trying a lower- and no-alcohol alternative.
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The role of lower- and no-alcohol options Read more >>
Beer marketing solely targets adults of legal drinking age. IARD’s five Digital Guiding Principles are tools advertisers can use to exclude underage people from the audience for digital marketing.
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Digital tools exclude underage people from online advertisingIARD Read more >>
IARD’s members have implemented five clear and direct actions to reduce underage drinking, enlisting the assistance of online platforms, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and delivery companies to keep alcohol out of the hands of underage people.
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Accelerating reductions in underage drinkingIARD Read more >>
IARD supplies retailers and hospitality venues with free training materials that help their staff sell and serve alcohol lawfully and responsibly.
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Resources for retailers and hospitality venuesIARD Read more >>
IARD's members launched a set of tools to support brands, agencies, and influencers who market alcohol on social channels to feel confident they are creating responsible content and helping prevent those underage from seeing alcohol marketing.
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Global standards for influencer marketingIARD Read more >>
As e-commerce involving alcohol beverages grows, IARD—in conjunction with 19 prominent global and regional online retailers and e-commerce and delivery platforms—developed Global Standards for Online Alcohol Sale and Delivery to combat underage drinking and the harmful use of alcohol by of-age adults.
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Global standards for online alcohol sales and deliveryIARD Read more >>
IARD’s members committed to voluntarily include labeling on their products globally that warns against drinking during pregnancy, drink driving, and underage drinking—even in the scores of countries that do not legally require such warnings.
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Improving consumer information on labelsIARD Read more >>
Norms are shifting around drinking lower- and no-alcohol beer in traditional social occasions: 56% of German consumers say they would trust their favorite brand to produce a good tasting low/no alcohol version.
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Shifting norms around lower- and no-alcohol beer Read more >>
New research published in the journal Addiction shows that making no-alcohol beer available on draft in pubs and bars may encourage consumers to moderate their drinking choices. The findings are consistent with previous research that show policies nudging consumers to opt for lower alcohol beverages are an effective way to improve public health outcomes.
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New research on no-alcohol beer in pubs Read more >>
“Our vision is to foster a culture of smart drinking globally. As such, we are dedicated to promoting smart consumption and reducing the harmful use of alcohol, which ties to how we market and communicate about our products.”
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AB inBev Responsible Marketing Read more >>
“Through the eight principles which guide our marketing, with clear dos & don’ts under each, we are able to develop innovative, creative and entertaining marketing in the confidence that it aligns with our purpose and high standards as a responsible brewer.”
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Carlsberg Responsible Marketing Read more >>
“We believe the current Code represents industry best practice and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to respectful, truthful and responsible marketing aimed at adults.”
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Heineken Responsible Marketing Read more >>
“Having a beer with friends is one of life’s simple pleasures. At the same time, we recognize that irresponsible activities such as underage drinking, binge drinking or drunk driving have harmful
consequences for drinkers, their families and others. Because of this, we promote only responsible drinking and discourage harmful drinking in all commercial activities.”
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Molson Coors Responsible Marketing Read more >>
Reducing the Harmful Use of Alcohol
Policies that nudge consumers towards lower alcohol beverages are a time-tested, evidence-based way to improve public health outcomes.
