Low alcohol beers and wines: attitudes of problem drinkers to their use and their effect on craving.

Thirty-one inpatient and 67 expatient problem drinkers' use of low alcohol drinks and their attitudes towards them were assessed using questionnaire measures. Self ratings of craving for alcohol were made before and after exposure to and optional tasting of low alcohol drinks. Problem drinkers were found to have a generally favourable view of low alcohol drinks, and they claimed that use of these drinks did not contribute to relapse. However, craving for alcohol was found to be significantly raised over baseline after exposure to low alcohol drinks. A significant correlation was found between this increase in craving and severity of dependence as assessed by the SADQ.