Background: There has been media coverage surrounding the dangers of heavy drinking and benefits of moderation, with TV and radio presenter, Adrian Chiles, documenting his experience of moderating alcohol consumption in an online article for the Guardian. By analysing the comments in response to Chiles’ article, this study aimed to explore i) readers’ attitudes or beliefs towards moderating alcohol and ii) readers’ experiences of moderating or abstaining from alcohol. Method: A secondary qualitative analysis of online comments in response to an article about moderating alcohol consumption. Main outcome measures: Comments (n = 784) in response to a UK online news article about moderating alcohol consumption were extracted and inductive thematic analysis was used. Results: For aim one, two themes were developed; “general attitudes towards drinking” and “general attitudes towards reducing consumption”. These themes reflect negative perceptions of alcohol and issues around ch