I could have told Diageo: it won't win

The 10 July edition of the Morning Advertiser carried the headline "Diageo tackles binge drinking". Tony Mair was hoping that Diageo's advertisements would provide impetus to the whole industry to take social responsibility seriously. You, quite rightly, supported the initiative and wondered who else would help. I have avidly read subsequent editions to note reactions from the industry. The reaction, apparently, is nil. This was no great surprise, based on my own experience. Four years ago, as part of the Local Strategic Partnership in Leeds, I became involved with the Leeds Alcohol Reference Group. I became aware of the huge costs associated with alcohol abuse. I also became aware that the Government was being strongly pressured to tackle the problem. Anxious to get the drinks industry involved, we organised a think-tank at Leeds United Football ground and invited all the major drink producers and retailers. Not one attended. With binge drinking becoming more of a problem and the Government's own alcohol harm-reduction strategy still on the drawing board, the Government recognised that the Licensing Reform Bill would make a wonderful Trojan horse. It has built a framework within the "horse" so that local councils can tackle binge drinking using licensees on the front line. Unfortunately, I do not think this strategy will succeed. Binge drinking is a "social disease" and, as far as I know, no one has determined what factors have changed in our society to cause it to flourish over the last few years. If you do not know the cause of a problem, finding a solution is just pot luck. It could be disaster. Be that as it may, licensees must make every effort to acquaint themselves with the new legislation and work with the councils to prevent this Trojan horse becoming a real weapon of mass destruction. Geoff Wilson The Rockingham Arms Towton North Yorkshire Water load of nonsense In response to some of the claims made about water by company PRs, I should point out I was in bottled water myself once and still can't get over the price charged in pubs and shops for a product that ­ apart from filtration and (maybe) UV irradiation, plus bottling in sexy packaging, of course ­ falls out of the sky as God's benison and bounty. I'm off to put a pump down my well and think of a name for the water: Liquid Con springs to mind. Geoffrey Hartridge Hambledon Hampshire PO7 4SN Don't apologise for fair prices Peter Lane's letter, published in the 24 July edition of MA, hits a sore spot when highlighting the competition from supermarkets. What he does not mention is that a licensee would be hard-pressed to buy J2O from a trade supplier at a price less than 58p per bottle. For instance, Coors' list price for this product is £16.21 including VAT per case of 24 ­ that is, 67p per bottle. The situation is the same on other bottled products. Beck's is priced by the same supplier at £22.99 including VAT per case of 24, a price of 96p per bottle. The RRP for a bottle of Beck's is 85p, let alone what you might be able to buy it for in the supermarket. It has always been the case that it is cheaper to drink at home, although the situation is now exacerbated by the high discounts that large retailers can obtain through massive purchasing power, so this is a situation that licensees just have to deal with. We all know what it costs us each week in rent or interest, business rates, insurance and light and heat, even before the doors are open, and these costs, together with wages, need to be spread out and recovered from the cost of each drink sold. My method for dealing with this situation is as follows: 1. Make the effort to source products from the cheapest supplier and put existing suppliers under pressure for discounts ­ this may include buying in quantity from supermarkets when a good offer is available. 2. Review prices from usual suppliers on a regular basis. Price list changes are sent out by the suppliers, but how many of us take the trouble to check them for our own products? 3. Do not feel apologetic for charging a fair price. You are entitled to charge for quality of presentation and service. De-fending the price charged to a customer should only be done in the most general terms, perhaps referring to all the fixed costs that have to be paid for. 4. Ensure that the presen-tation of the product is as good as it could be. In the case of J2O, this means using branded glasses, plenty of ice and a straw. It sounds simple, but it adds value to the product. Finally, always keep in mind that if you aren't making a profit on what you sell then you might as well be sitting in the garden not making a profit! Ian Rees The Dolphin Inn Newton Ferrers Plymouth