SCOTLAND’S first alcohol-free drinks festival will take place next month.

Drink Wise, Age Well, the Glasgow-based, National Lottery funded programme to help the over 50s make healthier choices about alcohol, will bring a mixture of insightful exhibits and engaging workshops to the event which will take place at The Briggait on Saturday, October 13.

The Mindful Drinking Festival is being run by Club Soda, which has a growing legion of fans who attend their alcohol-free events and get-togethers across the UK.

The festival will give Scots the opportunity to taste the new wave of alcohol-free drinks hitting the market and hear from experts including Club Soda founders Laura Willoughby and Jussi Tolvi, and staff and volunteers from Drink Wise, Age Well in Glasgow.

In the UK, drinking above the government’s recommended guidelines is declining in every age group bar the over 50s. Drink Wise, Age Well was established in 2015 to try to tackle this trend by providing age-appropriate alcohol services and support.

In Glasgow, the programme offers free, confidential support to individuals and their families and provides opportunities for peer support whether at group meetings or social gatherings. The programme also offers information, advice and web chat at www.drinkwiseagewell.org.uk

Drink Wise, Age Well Glasgow Locality Manager, Graeme Callander, said: “People aged over 50 are likely to have grown up in a culture of drinking and may increasingly look to alcohol to help them cope with stressful situations whether at work, or in later life transitions such as retirement and bereavement. Our association with Club Soda allows us to show that reducing your drinking - or quitting altogether - needn’t be dull and can reap tremendous benefits.”

Drink Wise, Age Well is curating a special exhibition for the festival about Scotland’s love affair with alcohol and the forces that conspire to keep us in its grips.