Lion's Commitment to Responsible Drinking and Innovation

As a leading beverage company in Australia and New Zealand, Lion is committed to promoting responsible drinking and enabling customers to make informed choices that suit their lifestyle. Our dedication to sustainability, innovation, and partnerships with industry colleagues and community organizations is at the heart of our mission.

Our commitment to responsible drinking

At Lion, we recognize the importance of eliminating the marketing, advertising, and sale of alcoholic beverages to minors. To this end, we’ve partnered with industry colleagues such as the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) and are voluntarily rolling out “not for minors” labeling across our product range.

Additionally, over the past decade, Lion’s Alcohol&Me program has been providing expert information on the effects of alcohol on the body and mind, helping New Zealanders make responsible choices and stay safe while drinking. The program is available as online modules and workplace workshops and offers a variety of engaging educational materials, including videos, quizzes, interactive demonstrations, and personal reflection exercises.

Starting from humble beginnings as an internal workshop back in April 2013, Alcohol&Me has now helped to educate over 400,000 adult New Zealanders, equating to 10% of the country’s population over the drinking age of 18, or an average of 100 people every day that are now equipped to make smarter drinking choices. The program has received high praise, with 89% of people who have done Alcohol&Me in New Zealand reporting making changes to their drinking behavior, and 95% saying they would recommend the program to others. Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, with comments such as “The workshop was extremely informative, interactive, and engaging for our employees” and “I genuinely think it will be a powerful tool to change people’s perceptions and illusions about their drinking.” Following its success in New Zealand, Alcohol&Me has recently been launched in Australia. By continuously increasing the number of participants, we aim to contribute to a reduction in anti-social behavior and negative outcomes.

We also collaborate with industry and community organizations that share our vision. Since 2005, we have been a member of DrinkWise Australia, an independent not-for-profit that promotes safer drinking practices. In New Zealand, we partner with the Tomorrow Project, an industry-funded organization that supports the SMASHED Program, which uses live theatre to educate students and teachers on the dangers of underage drinking and how to cope with peer pressure and other risks associated with excessive drinking.

Expanding the low and non-alcoholic market through innovation and sustainability

As a company, we’re committed to innovation that empowers our customers to make choices that suit their lifestyle. In 2022, we announced a major innovation within the non-alcoholic beer category with the launch of XXXX Zero, Australia’s first carbon-neutral alcohol-free beer. We’ve consistently responded to consumer tastes, such as pioneering the mid-strength market with the launch of XXXX Gold, and the new XXXX Zero reflects the shift in Australians’ drinking habits towards moderation.

We understand the potential for alcohol misuse and want to be part of a changing drinking culture that includes a drive towards moderation. We believe we have a responsibility to ensure our products aren’t consumed in ways that foster anti-social behavior or result in negative health outcomes. Building our portfolio of low and non-alcohol options is a core element of this. We’ve made a significant commitment to the growing non-alcohol beer category, having invested $6 million on a de-alcoholizing plant at our Tooheys Brewery in New South Wales to support our growing range of non-alcohol options, which now includes James Squire Zero, Steinlager Zero, Speights Summit Zero, and XXXX Zero.

When enjoyed responsibly, our products can be part of the social connection and interactions that are essential to wellbeing. As a company, we’re open about the potential for misuse and want to be part of the solution by promoting responsible drinking and providing our customers with innovative options that meet their needs.

*Stated information as at the date it is made