Licensing reforms — temperance without the hymns
Every society from the most ancient to the most modern has had a socially approved of intoxicant. In our society it is alcohol.
Using any intoxicant carries with it the risk of abuse, and given that over 20 million people in the UK drink alcohol every week even a small percentage of abusers generates big headline numbers that can be used to frighten the public.
The ConDem Government's licensing reform proposals reflect the ideological view of the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA), and they are setting out to do precisely that. Comprising some 24 different groups the AHA is calling for a 10% hike in alcohol taxes, banning alcohol advertising on TV before 9pm and health warnings on bottles and cans.
The AHA is particularly concerned about excessive drinking amongst the young. Many of the individual groups involved in the AHA would go further - calling for restrictions on licensing hours and raising the minimum age for purchasing alcohol from 18 to 21.
The government isn't proposing to do all of that, but they're looking again at the whole issue of alcohol taxation, looking to ban below-cost selling and tilting the whole licensing system in favour of greater powers for local councils, police and residents - 'localism' was one of the key demands of the 19th century Temperance Movement.
The government continues to see the licensed retail sector through the lens of the city centre night-time economy, and needs to recognise that whilst that part of our sector may be where the headlines are generated, it isn't where the majority of people drink.
My view is that these measures are unjustified and won't work. Firstly, alcohol consumption across the board has been falling for the past six years, since the introduction of the new Licensing Act. I ask the following questions: if current tax levels are too low, why are the numbers of people drinking in excess of daily safe guidelines falling?
If high taxes cut alcohol misuse, why does the UK have more problems with alcohol-related bad behaviour than low-tax countries? If alcohol advertising encourages people to drink more, why has consumption fallen in the past six years, despite an increase in advertising spend?
Actually, the number of harmful adult drinkers and child drinkers is falling, but that good news is being eclipsed by increasing consumption levels amongst 11 to 15 year-olds. Instead of carrying out a witch-hunt against our industry why doesn't government make a proper investment in health education in schools - something which has been neglected for 40 years?
It is illogical to tax adults more to stop children drinking, and international comparisons prove that higher prices would not deter binge drinkers or people addicted to alcohol. I fear the new government is going down the road of demonising alcohol as a vice that needs to be restricted and restrained.
Paul Chase, director and head of UK Compliance, CPL Training
