The Health Council of the Netherlands warned earlier this summer that alcohol is more harmful than earlier advice indicated, stating that even one glass a day poses health risks. Research by the RTL panel shows the new guidance has not yet gained broad acceptance.

Nearly half of respondents, 45 percent, believe there is nothing wrong with a daily glass of beer or wine. “It shows that alcohol is still completely normal in the Netherlands,” polling expert Gijs Rademaker to RTL.

Clear generational differences appear. Younger people are far less likely than older adults to view daily drinking as normal. One in 10 people report actually drinking a glass every day. Among those 66 and older, the figure doubles to 21 percent.

A larger share of the population has cut back. Four in 10 people say they have reduced their alcohol consumption over the past two years. Rademaker linked the change mainly to health concerns: “Young people are bothered by it at school and work and focus more on a healthy body. And older people want to stay fit at their age.”

Sales data from Dutch beer brewers reflect the same trend. In the first half of 2026, sales of alcoholic beer fell 5.3 percent compared with the same period in 2024. Alcohol-free beer rose sharply, increasing 22 percent from two years earlier. Its market share surpassed 10 percent for the first time.

Government revenue followed the decline. Beer excise duties brought in 438 million euros in 2025, 10 million euros less than the year before, while tax rates remained unchanged. In the first six months of 2026, beer excise collections were 9 million euros, or 4.2 percent, lower than in the same period a year earlier.

On the question of government responsibility, six in 10 respondents said authorities should warn the public about alcohol risks. More than a third, 36 percent, said more attention to the issue is important. An equally large group argued that the government has better things to do and should not intervene.