Pubs are 'supervised and responsible drinking environments'

28th January 2009, 12:48pm

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers has today called on the Government to stop promoting pubs and bars as the root of 'binge drinking', as new statistics show most people drink excessively at home.

The trade body says that the Government should focus its proposed alcohol code of practice on preventing businesses from peddling bargain basement booze through low-cost sales.

Adding that pubs and bars should be promoted as supervised and responsible drinking environments, with landlords and trained staff monitoring levels of drunkenness and bad behaviour.

The Association is making the recommendation as new Government evidence has come to light showing that the vast majority of heavy drinkers avoid pubs and bars.

Over 70% of them do their heaviest drinking away from pubs, with 52% of them staying at home, according to the UK Statistics Authority.

ALMR Chief Executive Nick Bish says: "These figures confirm what we've been saying for some time; people will drink larger quantities of alcohol away from the supervised environment that pubs and bars provide. That environment encourages personal responsibility; those who drink irresponsibly know that they do so at the expense of a good night out when the landlord chucks them out.

"This Government talks non-stop about encouraging responsible drinking. Unfortunately whilst it is happy to blow millions of pounds on fancy ad campaigns that do nothing to encourage personal responsibility, it doesn't give a second thought to the idea of encouraging drinking in a supervised environment. It seems intent on tying up pubs and bars with laws and red tape rather than focusing on businesses that encourage irresponsible drinking through cut price, bargain basement, deals."

Related Articles:

• 16 Mar 2009 - ALMR calls for ban on below cost selling

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Wilson Anderson

28 January 2009 at 8:19pm

Only when the last pub shuts its doors will the government realise that the problem was not with the publicans but with the cheap drink that supermarkets sell. At least in the pubs/clubs customers are in a supervised environment where as need i say any more. If we sold a customer with 28 nips of vodka and 24 pints we would be deemed to be not fit and proper landlords where as supermarkets can sell bottles of vodka and cases of beer to any individual without any recourse. Where is the level playing field!!!!!!!!!!!

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