On-trade 'guilty of irresponsible practices'

Pubs, bars and clubs have been slammed for "irresponsible and harmful practices" in a damning report by auditors KPMG - even supermarkets are said to be more responsible.

The Government now looks set to introduce legislation to ban drinks promotions and enforce best practice via local authorities.

But trade leaders have labelled the report "farcical".

The report, titled Review of the Social Responsibility Standards for the Production and Sale of Alcoholic Drinks, even said supermarkets were acting more responsibly because they displayed sensible drinking and Challenge-21 messages.

The report, due out later today, says retailers are guilty of "irresponsible and harmful practices" such as allowing under-18s to enter premises and serving intoxicated customers.

The report said it found:

• People who appear to be under-18 frequently being admitted to age restricted venues in which they cannot purchase alcohol legally.

• The promotion of alcohol through low price offers, inducements by DJs to consume greater quantities, and glamorisation through links with sexual imagery.

• Encouragement to drink more and faster through shots and shooters being "downed in one".

• Sales to blatantly intoxicated people.

• Several health and safety issues inside bars and clubs e.g. overcrowding, broken glass and spilled alcohol.

• Poor dispersal practices (although there is some very good practice).

• Several instances of anti-social behaviour and low level crime (fights and assaults, urinating and vomiting in public places, criminal damage).

Not fit for purpose​

The report concludes that the industry's voluntary Social Responsibility Standards for the Production and Sale of Alcohol code is "not fit for purpose".

The industry's code was released in 2005 and brings together best practice codes from a number of trade groups.

To say there has been systematic failure is absolute nonsense​Paul SmithNoctis

This includes the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), Noctis and the Portman Group. It features advice on drinks promotions and happy hours at pubs and clubs and dispersal policies.

The code's section on pricing and promotions was withdrawn last month by the BBPA for fear of breaching competition laws.

"We have concluded that currently the Standards are not being consistently adopted and applied across the whole of the alcohol industry," the KPMG report said.

"In the current trading climate the commercial imperative generally overrides adherence.

"Inducements to people to drink more and faster, to allow under-age people entry to restricted premises, and blatantly serving intoxicated people are evidence of this conclusion.

"In driving responsible practice they are ineffective because of a lack of consistent monitoring and enforcement."

The KPMG report recommends strengthening existing self regulation by the industry, the setting up of a new regulatory body or mandatory legislation enforced by the local authority.

That could mean a ban on happy hours, forcing premises to offer wine in a 125ml glass and even a minimum price.

"We have concluded that the Standards should be strengthened and enforced more effectively by Government, industry and other agencies working more closely in partnership at a national and local level.

"Further, we have concluded that Government should spearhead this initiative in the short term but could place local government in the pivotal role as implementer."

Research​

Researchers visited nearly 600 on and off-trade venues over a five-day period in Coventry, Hackney, Harrogate, Manchester, Norfolk, Tyneside, Newquay and Swindon.

The report singled out a Coventry bar, which ran a drink-downing competition and a bar in Newquay, which sold a drink called "liquid cocaine".

Researchers also said they saw customers swaying and yet still being served and health and safety breaches such as overcrowding, broken glass and spilled drinks.

Farcical​

The trade - still in the dark over the exact contents of the report despite it being leaked to several national media outlets - has reacted with fury.

"To say there has been systematic failure is absolute nonsense and farcical," said Noctis executive director Paul Smith.

"Pubs, bars and clubs are on the radar of police and if they had stepped out of line and if there had been systematic failure, then they would have been closed.

"The report was compiled over a very short period of time and they visited under 1% of on-trade premises.

"We don't know how they chose these venues and from first glance the methods they used to judge underage people and whether people were intoxicated seem very unscientific.

"This report was commissioned in February and has been sitting on ministers desks for months - probably because it is so out of stack with what is really going on.

"Even senior police officers like Peter Fahey (Cheshire chief constable) are saying it is the off-trade that is the main concern.

He added: "If there was to be legislation on minimum pricing, we would support that because the price differential between the on and off-trade is four to one. People front-loading and then turning up at bars and clubs causes real problems for us."