Alcohol promotions in pubs are contributing to excessive consumption

18th February 2010, 10:22am

Irresponsible alcohol promotions in pubs and clubs in Wales are contributing to excessive consumption, leading to serious long term health problems, according to a report published by the Alcohol Concern.

The report, Counting the Cost: irresponsible alcohol promotions in the night-time economy in Wales, is based on a survey of pubs and clubs in Newport, Swansea and Wrexham.

The study found that four venues offered pints for as little as £1, 12 venues offered spirits, sometimes in double measures, for just £1, and two-for-one and three-for-one deals were available in a number of venues.

Alcohol Concern policy manager, Andrew Misell said: "It is clear that promotions that encourage people to drink more are common within the night-time economy in Wales and are not restricted to a small minority of premises. This contrasts sharply with the small number of promotions on non-alcoholic drinks.

"With double measures of spirits available for just £1, a woman could drink more than twice the recommended daily amount of alcohol – the usual definition of a binge – for just £3 and a man could binge for as little as £4.

"The night-time economy can bring big benefits to our towns and cities, but this must be balanced with the public health implications of cheap alcohol. We'd like to see pubs and clubs competing on the basis of their facilities, entertainment and atmosphere, rather than who can offer the cheapest booze."

People who regularly drink above recommended guidelines are at much greater risk of developing long-term health problems, including liver disease and mouth, food pipe, bowel and breast cancer.

Related Articles:

• 21 Jul 2008 - Drinks industry still acting 'irresponsibly'

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