Anti-obesity drugs curb alcohol consumption. Heineken in pubs: "Bet on non-alcoholic"

The Rise of the antiobesity drugs of the GLP-1 class risks turning into a direct threat to thethe alcohol industry and of catering. The beer giant Heineken sent a strategic presentation to the public in recent days pub and bar managers in the UKurging them to adapt their business offerings to address the decline in consumption.

According to what emerged from the company document cited by The Independent, weight loss treatments such as Ozempic e Wegovy reduce the sense of hunger and the desire to consume alcohol, with a clear impact on the demand for beer and cider due to greater feeling of satiety which makes moments of prolonged drinking rarer. To counteract the contraction in volumes, Heineken suggests that venues focus on the promotion of half pintsto encourage the consumption of non-alcoholic drinks or low alcohol content and to combine drinking with small portions of food.

The numbers

The data collected in United States and in Europa confirm a concrete change in habits, with families and individual consumers significantly reducing their spending on alcohol after starting treatment. Beer generated almost £14 billion of sales in British pubs, bars and restaurants in the year ending February 2026, with less than £300 million coming from non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beers, according to a report by Heineken.

While beverage companies have largely downplayed the threat of GLP-1 drugsrecent spending data indicates an impact on purchases. A group of U.S. households with a GLP-1 user tracked by market research firm Circana between 2024 and 2026 reduced spending on alcohol for both at-home and out-of-home consumption compared to households without a user. After two years of taking the drugs, they spent about 7 percent less per month on alcohol than non-using families, including about 13.5 percent less on beer.