Drinks industry gets behind alcohol awareness campaign

9th September 2010, 10:26am

More than 16,000 pubs and bars are gearing up to carry campaign posters this month aimed at helping young adult drinkers to cut down on binge drinking.

The pubs and bars involved will also have drink mats and mirror stickers promoting the message.

Over 7,000 supermarkets, convenience stores and off licences around the country will also be putting their voices to the campaign.

Entitled, 'Why Let Good Times Go Bad?', the promotion is the brainchild of Drinkaware and its logo and strapline will feature on approximately 13 million products, including neck labels on bottles, cans and multi-packs.

Campaign posters will be featured on 10,000 phone boxes, 17 shopping centres and 18 train station concourses across the UK.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: "We want young people to enjoy themselves but we want them to do it responsibly and safely. This campaign will compliment the Government's plans to introduce tough measures to ban the sale of below cost alcohol, crack down on problem premises and overhaul the Licensing Act in favour of local communities.

"I am pleased that the drinks industry is taking this issue seriously by encouraging young people to think about the consequences of their behaviour that can lead to the drink-fuelled crime and disorder that blights many of our towns and cities."

Chris Sorek, Chief Executive of Drinkaware, added: "Not all young adults think extreme drunken behaviour is acceptable, but we must challenge those that do. Changing Britain's binge drinking culture will not happen overnight, but we're making a strong start. That's why this campaign is no flash in the pan – it's a five year commitment. Run in parallel with other measures, this will help us make giant leaps towards our goal of fundamentally changing attitudes to alcohol for the better."

The news comes as figures released this show that one in three young adults (36%) goes out drinking with the specific intention of getting drunk and three quarters (75%) of 18-24 year olds regret their drunken behaviour.

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