Government's alcohol strategy spells out pub future

The besieged pub trade is in for a long campaign of criticism from the public health lobby and the media in the wake of the government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England.

Even as the long-awaited strategy was published earlier this week it was clear that, as with smoking, the pub trade can expect to remain firmly in the firing line as it works to implement voluntary controls on drinks promotions.

While the trade is being given a chance to show that self-regulation can work, the media and health lobby are continuing to lay the blame for the so-called binge-drinking culture with pubs and the drinks industry.

Pressure group Alcohol Concern called for a levy of up to five per cent of advertising spend to be imposed on drinks brand owners straight away, with the cash used to fund information campaigns.

Chief executive Eric Appleby said: "We shall also be expecting a rapid response from the drinks trade in living up to their obligations when it comes to issues such as happy hours and other drinks promotions."

Licensees and trade bodies have broadly welcomed the measures announced by the government, designed to tackle alcohol-fuelled crime and city centre disorder, as well as the longer-term health and social implications of problem drinking.

However, the strategy was immediately criticised by the health lobby for not going far enough. Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and ethics at the British Medical Association, said proposals for voluntary unit labelling on bottles are not enough.

She said: "We would like to see clear warnings and labelling on alcohol products as well as a ban on alcohol advertising."

John Denham MP, chair of the Commons home affairs select committee, revived his campaign for paid-for policing, saying the trade should fund measures to deal with town centre disorder such as additional police and wardens to manage bus and taxi queues.

Measures to tackle alcohol misuse​

• Police and trading standards to target pubs suspected of selling alcohol to under-18s, including police sting operations using underage buyers and on-the-spot fines for licensees and barstaff
• Police encouraged to make more use of exclusion orders and fixed-penalty fines to ban known trouble-makers from pubs and town centres
• All retailers encouraged not sell drinks at "unsustainably low" prices or to encourage irresponsible drinking with happy hour, two-for-one and all-you-can-drink style promotions
• Cheaper soft drinks and free water to be available in all pubs
• Safer alternatives to bottles and glasses
• Police to use community wardens to control bus and taxi queues at night
• Review of drink advertising to ensure it does not target young drinkers or glamorise drinking
• A "social responsibility charter" for drinks producers which includes clear labelling and health warnings
• "Code of good conduct" schemes for pubs and clubs, managed by local authorities.

Related articles:​

Government's challenge to drinks firms (18 March 2004)

Portman Group issues code on promotions (16 March 2004)

Partnership approach to tackle problem drinking (15 March 2004)