Alcohol-free alternatives for beer, wine and spirits have boomed in recent years and, as a parent, you might be wondering if they are a safe option for your booze-curious teen.
Head to parenting expert Google, however, and you'll find very little guidance on this.
That's because we don't have any data on young people and these alternatives, explains Dr Amy Pennay, a senior research fellow from La Trobe University's Centre for Alcohol Policy Research.
But there are some things we know to help parents weigh up the risks.
What are the rules around zero alcoholic drinks and minors?
Non-alcoholic beer, wine and spirits, also referred to sometimes as zero-alcohol drinks or alcohol-free drinks, are defined as: beverages containing less than 0.5 per cent alcohol by volume, which feature the branding of established alcohol companies, and/or are designed to imitate the flavour, packaging or overall appearance of alcohol products.
They are sold online, in bottle shops, food and beverage venues, and in supermarkets in some states.
There is no legislation around minors buying or consuming non-alcoholic alternatives, explains Dr Pennay.
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation has called for zero-alcohol beverages to be subjected to the same regulations as full-strength products, and says the products could condition young people to drink alcohol in the longer term.
A gateway to risky drinking behaviour?
Parents of teens we spoke to had mixed feelings on their children drinking non-alcoholic alternatives.
Some were concerned giving them something that tasted like beer or wine could influence them to want the "real thing", and were inclined to discourage it.
Others said they would be OK with their teens trying the drinks, with one parent adding they would also allow their child to have an alcohol beverage on occasion as they aged closer to 18.
Dr Pennay echoes the Alcohol and Drug Foundation's stance on non-alcoholic beverages, saying they could serve as a "gateway", or normalise the consumption of alcohol.
We can use what we know in comparable products to help guide our choices, she says.
"There is some good evidence from tobacco research that underage e-cigarette use is a gateway to adult nicotine and tobacco use.
"If there are pockets of young people consuming these drinks, it's not unreasonable to assume this might give more proclivity as they age."
Professor Tim Slade from The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use says looking at the research linking energy drinks and alcohol consumption could also be helpful.
"It's tricky to tease out, but it did remind me of that. Are drinking non-alcoholic beers that look like beers setting kids up for [risky alcohol consumption] in future?"
He says it's worth knowing the supply of alcohol from parents to adolescents does increase their likelihood of riskier drinking patterns later on.
"The very clear finding is provision of alcohol by parents in any given year is associated with doubling of the risk of binge-drinking a year later."
The experts' advice
Because we know the developing brain is affected by alcohol, Dr Pennay says giving young people anything that might potentially increase their interest in it probably isn't a good idea.
"[Influencing them] to wait until they're 18 is always going to be the best advice," she says, adding the longer someone holds off from drinking alcohol, the less likely they are to be a "problematic drinker as they age".
"Delaying initiation is really important."
While some parents may see it as the lesser of two evils, Professor Slade urges people to think about what it might signal to a child when given something that looks, smells and tastes like alcohol.
He says it could send the message that underage drinking is acceptable or tolerated in some capacity, as evidence suggests can happen from giving them "small sips" of champagne or "just one beer" — even infrequently.
Dr Pennay says UK research underway to investigate the public health impacts of these beverages will help us understand more in the future.
For parents keen to learn more about talking to their teens about alcohol, and understanding its impact, Professor Slade recommends resource Positive Choices.
Alcohol Think Again also has parent-specific information.
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