Teenagers see soft drinks as a way to ‘fit in’ with their peers — study

Non-alcoholic alternatives to beer and other drinks can fulfil some of the social functions of alcohol for teenagers: helping them to blend in with their peers and demonstrate responsibility. However, they are not yet capable of completely replacing alcohol in young people’s minds.

This was the conclusion reached by researchers who conducted focus groups with 52 teenagers aged 15–16 from three schools in New Zealand.

Details

The study was conducted by Ann-Marie Kennedy, Rachael Dixon, Jennifer P.T. Smith and Johnpaul Smith. The study was published in the journal *Young Consumers*.

The participants were 52 Year 11 pupils aged 15–16 from three secondary schools in New Zealand. During the focus groups, the researchers used creative and visual tasks, amongst other methods, to find out what meanings the teenagers associated with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Participants associated alcohol with the ability to fit in with a group, relax, cope with unpleasant emotions and make socialising more fun. Non-alcoholic drinks, by contrast, were associated with safety, responsibility and the opportunity to decline alcohol without feeling left out of the social situation.

However, much depended on the context. If the situation itself seemed interesting — for example, a concert, a wedding or a trip to the beach — the teenagers found it easier to envisage a non-alcoholic drink instead of the usual alcoholic one. In boring or anxiety-inducing social situations, they were more likely to attribute a specific function to alcohol: to help them relax or change their mood.

The authors emphasise that the symbolic significance of such drinks can influence whether they become a genuine alternative to alcohol. If a non-alcoholic option is perceived as less ‘valuable’ or prestigious, mere similarity in taste and appearance may not be enough.

Why this matters

The findings suggest that alcohol prevention programmes for teenagers may be more effective if they address not only the drink itself, but also the social functions that young people attribute to it. The authors suggest linking leisure activities more often with non-alcoholic alternatives, restricting advertising that presents alcohol as an essential part of having fun, and developing social skills and emotional self-regulation.

However, the study does not indicate how teenagers will behave in the future. It is a small-scale qualitative study based on the views of 52 participants from New Zealand, rather than on observations of actual alcohol consumption. Therefore, based on its findings, it cannot be concluded that non-alcoholic drinks reduce alcohol consumption or, conversely, act as a ‘gateway’ to it.

The study was funded by Health New Zealand, which also approved the proposed research plan.

Source

The primary source is the article ‘Symbolic meaning of zero alcohol for youth’ in the journal *Young Consumers*, published on 3 August 2026. Additional material: Phys.org / The Conversation.