7 On Your Side looked into the trending beverages and is breaking down the pros and cons of these alcohol alternatives.
Non-alcoholic beverages are making a splash in the beverage industry. The drinks are gaining popularity, popping up more frequently on supermarket shelves and on menus at bars and restaurants.
According to NielsenIQ, retail sales of those products surged to $823 million last year.
A beverage is considered non-alcoholic if it contains less than half a percent of alcohol by volume. Some non-alcoholic beverages may resemble alcoholic beverages like beer, wine, liquor or cocktails.
People pick non-alcoholic beverages for various reasons -- from physical health to social anxiety to cutting down on alcohol consumption.
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It's reported that 94% of people who buy non-alcoholic beverages still consume alcohol.
"Because these drinks have so many alcohol-related cues, they could be a really useful substitute, where you can have a [non-alcoholic] beer in your hand when you're in a social setting with other people who are drinking and not feel like you're standing out as the person who's not consuming alcohol," said Molly Bowdring, a researcher at Stanford University.
Bowdring warns, however, that non-alcoholic drinks resembling alcoholic drinks may not always be the best choice for those trying to avoid alcohol consumption.
"Because they are so similar to alcohol, it could be that they actually trigger craving for full-strength alcohol and may lead people to revert back to alcohol use," said Bowdring.