Alcoholism

‘The closest thing to being a rock and roll star is running a bar’

30-Nov-2021 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Addiction in hospitality is nothing new. In 2011, research by The Insider showed chefs were nearly twice as likely to be addicted to alcohol and drugs than the average person and Gordon Ramsay has previously described cocaine as the industry’s “dirty...

Report questioning alcohol health benefits rejected by Drinkers' Voice

08-Mar-2018 By Claire Churchard

The health benefits of moderate drinking in later life have been “overstated”, according to a report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP).

Irresponsible 'barrow of booze' ad encourages excessive drinking says ASA

14-Feb-2018 By Georgina Townshend

A pub that advertised a 'barrow of booze', which included two boxes of wine, 20 bottles of Corona or Peroni, a bottle of Tanqueray gin, a bottle of Ketel One Vodka and a bottle of Tequila and mixers, has been reprimanded by the Advertising Standards...

Tim Page steps down as director of Drinkers' Voice

14-Nov-2017 By Stuart Stone

The chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Tim Page has stepped down from his role as a director of Drinkers' Voice but confirmed he's staying in place at CAMRA.

Millennials: 'getting drunk is pathetic and for older people'

28-Sep-2017 By Georgina Townshend

'Festival mad' Millennials have called last orders on the 'boozy pub culture', with 'wellness in and alcohol out' as they look for a wider range of experiences other than getting drunk, according to a new survey.

Students 'excessive drinking' impacting career prospects

18-Sep-2017 By Michelle Perrett

One in four students (24%) are hindering their career prospects by drinking excessively, new research has revealed.

Trade responds to airline's alcohol limit call

15-Aug-2017 By Fred A'Court

The trade has underlined the need for the responsible sale of alcohol and action against drunken airline passengers in response to tough suggested limits on sales at airport bars and restaurants by Ryanair. 

Drinkaware unveils scheme to help Shoreditch drinkers stay safe

21-Apr-2017 By Nikkie Sutton

Drinkaware has launched a scheme aimed at keeping young people safe while on a night out, in partnership with Shoreditch Pubwatch.

Licensing

Police block pub’s late-night licence bid

03-Jan-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Police are obstructing a Teesside pub’s bid to open until 5.30am because of its “violent past”, despite bosses claiming the site now attracts a more “cosmopolitan” clientele.

Licensing Law

Drunk customers? New video shows how pubs and bars can avoid breaking the law

11-Nov-2016 By Helen Gilbert

Pub and bar staff have been reminded that it is illegal to serve drunk people and against the law for customers to purchase drinks for an inebriated friend in a new video. 

Drinking guidelines

Industry disappointed by new drinking guidelines of no more than 14 units per week

08-Jan-2016 By Oli Gross

New guidelines advise both men and women to drink no more than 14 units a week but licensees are reassured that consumer behaviour will not change overnight.

Research

Britons 'drink more than any other nation', report claims

13-Oct-2015 By PMA

Brits binge drink more than any other country, according to a new poll.

Legal Advice

How to deal with drunken punters

09-Oct-2015 By Poppleston Allen

A previous article discussed the issue of drunkenness, following a couple of high-profile cases which brought this issue to the forefront.

Is Big Brother watching you?

08-Oct-2015 By Ed Bedington

Big brother is watching — beware that friendly stranger at the bar chatting to your customers, he could land you in some serious trouble!

Report urges action from trade on 'sales to drunks'

17-Nov-2014 By Mike Berry

A new report calls for a review of the legislation on ‘sales to drunks’ — which it claims is one of the most under-enforced laws on the statute books. But is it needed? Mike Berry looks closer.

Dry January ‘leads to long-term cut in alcohol consumption’

17-Nov-2014 By James Wallin, M&C Report

Alcohol Concern has revealed new research showing its Dry January challenge leads to a long-term cut in consumption for participants.

Alcohol stats that don't add up

05-Nov-2014 By Paul Chase

Guess-timates made by Alcohol Concern are not truthful.

NHS alcohol-related admissions near 10 million

15-Oct-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

The total number of alcohol-related NHS admissions hit almost 10 million during 2012-13, according to new figures from Alcohol Concern.

Ten licensing law issues to teach your staff

06-Oct-2014 By Poppleston Allen

It is good practice to provide training in licensing for when you are absent - here are 10 tips on the main areas of law that your staff should have some knowledge of.

ACPO licensing lead says on-trade not doing enough to tackle binge drinking

19-Sep-2014 By James Wallin

The Association of Chief Police Officers’ lead on licensing has said efforts by the on-trade to tackle alcohol misuse have “barely scratched the surface” of the problem.

We must awake from this sleepwalk

11-Sep-2014 By Rob Willock

We recently published an extract from Paul Chase’s book Culture Wars and Moral Panic, in which the author describes the ‘Big Lie’ propaganda technique increasingly being used by the anti-alcohol brigade.

Licensees criticise Greater Manchester alcohol strategy

04-Sep-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Operators in Greater Manchester have slammed a new alcohol strategy as a “short-term” solution that does not adequately address the needs of licensees.

Manchester proposes licensing powers review to reduce £1.2bn alcohol bill

22-Aug-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Pubs in Greater Manchester could face a crackdown on licensing from police and councils, following a new report that reveals excessive drinking costs the region £1.2bn each year.

Jägermeister ad ‘linked drinking with being tough’, ASA claims

30-Jul-2014 By James Wallin

The producers of Jägermeister have been criticised by the Advertising Standards agency for an advert which apparently linked drinking a shot with “tough, daring behaviour”.

Unlimited fines for selling alcohol to minors proposed

11-Jun-2014 By John Harrington

Unlimited fines could be handed out for selling alcohol to under-18s under new Government proposals.

Home Office launches crackdown on student pub crawls

28-May-2014 By James Wallin

Universities will have to prove they are discouraging their students from taking part in pub crawls, under a pilot scheme launched today.

Minimum pricing would have 'little impact' on moderate drinkers

13-May-2014 By John Harrington

A minimum unit price of 45p would reduce alcohol consumption for harmfully heavy drinkers on low incomes by nearly 300 units annually, but have little impact on moderate drinkers, according to a new report published in medical journal The Lancet.

Drinkaware research praises pubs for tackling harmful alcohol consumption

11-Feb-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Pubs and clubs that refuse access to drunks are having a positive impact in tackling the harmful side of alcohol consumption in the UK.

Consumers drinking more responsibly, says new survey

17-Dec-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

An increasing number of consumers are drinking responsibly, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Children more likely to be given alcohol at Christmas by family and friends

27-Nov-2013 By Michelle Perrett

Nearly one in five (17%) 10-14 year olds claim they have been given a whole alcoholic drink by their parents and over a fifth (21%)  say they have been given a drink by someone else including a family member, during the festive season.

The enemy within? War and drink

04-Nov-2013 By Phil Mellows

Those who reckon today's temperance campaigners are over-reacting are lucky the part of Sir Ian Gilmore isn't being played by Field Marshall Douglas Haig, blogs Phil Mellows.

SIBA backs Welsh brewers' social responsibility plea

08-Aug-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) has come out in support of a Welsh brewers’ call to the industry to take its social responsibility more seriously.

Video: Diageo launches excessive drinking campaign

16-Jul-2013 By Ellie Bothwell

Diageo has launched an online campaign to remind young people that drinking to excess can lead to shame and embarrassment.

Portman Group and Laverstoke Park Farm: Where is the evidence?

23-Apr-2013 By Publican Sam

I used to have a high regard for the Portman Group, I say "used to" advisedly having seen this report in the Publican's Morning Advertiser on the long-running dispute between this 'august' trade body and Laverstoke Park Farm over...

Fighting the new evil of binge-drinking scare stories

09-Apr-2013 By Pete Brown

Why must we put up with this relentless tide of poorly-researched scare stories about binge drinking, asks Pete Brown.

Having your pint and drinking it too? The ‘problem’ of falling alcohol consumption

11-Mar-2013 By Phil Mellows

Another decline in UK alcohol consumption gives the public health lobby a bit a of a problem. Or it ought to, says Phil Mellows.

People are continuing to drink less alcohol, new Government statistics reveal

07-Mar-2013 By Michelle Perrett

People are continuing to drink less alcohol, a survey released today by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has revealed.

Getting drunk with Kettil Bruun

04-Mar-2013 By Phil Mellows

As any alcohol policy geek knows, the late Kettil Bruun was the godfather of modern medical temperance.

Alcohol stats and the comorbidity conundrum

08-Feb-2013 By Phil Mellows

Evidence is a nice thing to have. But what happens when the evidence base you’ve stood on all these years starts crumble beneath you?

Fewer than one in five people support minimum pricing

29-Jan-2013 By John Harrington

Fewer than one in five (19%) of people support the introduction of minimum pricing of alcohol, according to new figures from the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), which today launches its campaign against the proposal.

Minimum pricing: pubs will lose out on one in four customers, says YouGov poll

28-Jan-2013 By Gurjit Degun

Introducing a minimum price of 45p per unit will deter four in 10 customers from pubs, according to a new poll by YouGov.

Hi-Spirits ordered to remove "irresponsible" pictures from Facebook page

10-Jan-2013 By Helen Gilbert

Hi-Spirits has been slammed by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for posting "irresponsible" photos on its Facebook page. 

Greene King chief Rooney Anand speaks out over alcohol abuse

03-Jan-2013 By Michelle Perrett

Greene King chief executive Rooney Anand has claimed that binge drinking has become a dangerous past time, in an interview in the Daily Mail.

Minimum pricing: will damage limitation work?

19-Dec-2012 By Poppleston Allen

There has been much recent publicity concerning difficulties the UK on-trade is experiencing in competing in a marketplace where most alcohol sold is now consumed at home.

Alcohol minimum pricing: the industry responds

28-Nov-2012

The Government has proposed a minimum price for alcohol of 45p per unit in a consultation on its Alcohol Strategy. Here are the reactions from key people in the pub trade and beyond.

Government unveils alcohol minimum price proposal of 45p per unit

28-Nov-2012 By Adam Pescod

The Government has today proposed a minimum price for alcohol of 45p per unit in England and Wales as it launched the consultation on its Alcohol Strategy, which aims to crack down on the problem of ‘binge drinking’.

UK Government remains determined to introduce minimum pricing

18-Oct-2012

The UK government remains determined to introduce a minimum price on alcoholic drinks, policy minister Oliver Letwin has said.

Reflections on the death of Griffith Edwards

19-Sep-2012

Griffith Edwards died last week. He wasn’t exactly famous, except within alcohol policy circles, but as one of the intellectual pillars of what I term medical temperance his influence and ideas shape the politics of drinking today, from the nature of...

Minimum pricing is not based on good evidence, says Diageo's Mark Baird

18-Sep-2012 By Gurjit Degun

Minimum pricing is a “solution desperately searching for a problem” that is not based on good evidence, according to Diageo head of industry affairs and alcohol policy Mark Baird.

Three in four young people think it acceptable to get drunk in front of workmates, claims Drinkaware research

14-Sep-2012 By Michelle Perrett

Three in four (78%) of 18-24 year olds say they think it is acceptable to get drunk in front of workmates on a Friday night after work, new research from alcohol education charity Drinkaware has revealed.