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Dr Merve Mollaahmetoglu has been awarded a grant from the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) to investigate barriers to the use of alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks among individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

The project, entitled 'Understanding barriers to the use of alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks to reduce alcohol consumption among individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds' aims to shed light on why no/no drinks may not be as accessible or appealing to those from disadvantaged communities.

Through qualitative interviews with individuals from lower socioeconomic groups, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, the research team will explore their perceptions of no/no drinks, the challenges they face in incorporating them into attempts to reduce their alcohol consumption, and potential solutions to these barriers. Additionally, the research will examine the availability of no/no drinks in shops and other outlets in both deprived and affluent areas of Sheffield.

The IAS Small Grants Scheme supports early career researchers and prioritises projects that can inform public policy debates on alcohol harm. This particular round focused on addressing alcohol-related inequalities, and Merve's research aligns closely with this goal.

By understanding the factors that hinder the adoption of no/no drinks among individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, this project could help inform strategies to promote their use as substitutes for alcoholic drinks and reduce alcohol-related harm in these communities. Additionally, the project could inform whether additional policy options beyond no/lo drinks need to be prioritised to reduce alcohol harm in these groups.

Merve's study runs in parallel to the NIHR-funded project 'Evaluating and responding to the public health impact of no and low alcohol drinks: A multi-method study of a complex intervention in a complex system' (also known as the No/Lo Project). Over the course of four years the project is examining whether making non-alcoholic or low-alcohol drinks more available and popular in the UK can improve people's health.