Psychadelic_Paisly
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Britain clamps down on binge drinking
By Jane Wardell
March 16, 2004 - 8:14AM
The British government, worried about the high costs of the country's binge-drinking culture, proposed a series of measures today to curb heavy alcohol consumption, particularly among the young.
The government estimates that alcohol abuse costs the country STG20 billion ($A49.2 billion) every year in related crime and illness.
Among planned measures to reduce drinking are a clampdown on pubs serving youths under 18 -- the legal drinking age in Britain -- and clearer labelling on products to inform people of the level of alcoholic content.
The government also wants to tackle related violence directly by introducing marshals at taxi ranks late in the evening, when drinkers begin to spill out onto the streets.
Britain's 11pm closing time -- 10.30pm on Sundays -- has been blamed for promoting binge drinking as many pub-goers gulp extra drinks to beat the last bell.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said millions of people enjoyed alcohol with few, if any, ill-effects, with moderate drinking bringing some health benefits.
"But increasingly, alcohol misuse by a small minority has caused problems -- crime and anti-social behaviour in town and city centres, and harm to health as a result of binge and chronic drinking," Blair said.
A study by Blair's Strategy Unit last year found that increasing numbers of people -- especially the young -- are drinking well above safe limits.
Britons now drink 151 per cent more alcohol than they did in 1951, and under-16s who drink now do so twice as much as they did 10 years ago, the report said.
Under the new proposals, police will be encouraged to increase the use of existing powers to discourage anti-social behaviour , such as fines and exclusion orders that ban offenders from certain venues.
Police will also enlist undercover officers to test pubs and clubs that are suspected of selling drinks to minors.
The government also wants to stop bars from encouraging heavy drinking with promotions such as an "all you can drink for STG10 ($A25)" evening.
Rob Hayward, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said the recommendations were a fair compromise to tackle a minority of people who abuse alcohol and fuel anti-social behaviour.
The Strategy Unit report found that more than 17 million working days in Britain are lost to hangovers and drink-related illness each year, costing employers STG6.4 billion ($A15.8 billion), and there are 1.2 million incidents of alcohol-related violence annually, costing police STG7.3 billion ($A18 billion) a year.
Four out of 10 visits to hospital casualty wards are alcohol-related, rising to seven out of 10 on weekends between midnight and 5am, and costing the British taxpayer STG1.7 billion ($A4.2 billion) a year, the report said.
At the same time, the British government collected more than STG7 billion in tax revenues on alcohol in 2002, according to the Wine and Spirits Association.
By Jane Wardell
March 16, 2004 - 8:14AM
The British government, worried about the high costs of the country's binge-drinking culture, proposed a series of measures today to curb heavy alcohol consumption, particularly among the young.
The government estimates that alcohol abuse costs the country STG20 billion ($A49.2 billion) every year in related crime and illness.
Among planned measures to reduce drinking are a clampdown on pubs serving youths under 18 -- the legal drinking age in Britain -- and clearer labelling on products to inform people of the level of alcoholic content.
The government also wants to tackle related violence directly by introducing marshals at taxi ranks late in the evening, when drinkers begin to spill out onto the streets.
Britain's 11pm closing time -- 10.30pm on Sundays -- has been blamed for promoting binge drinking as many pub-goers gulp extra drinks to beat the last bell.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said millions of people enjoyed alcohol with few, if any, ill-effects, with moderate drinking bringing some health benefits.
"But increasingly, alcohol misuse by a small minority has caused problems -- crime and anti-social behaviour in town and city centres, and harm to health as a result of binge and chronic drinking," Blair said.
A study by Blair's Strategy Unit last year found that increasing numbers of people -- especially the young -- are drinking well above safe limits.
Britons now drink 151 per cent more alcohol than they did in 1951, and under-16s who drink now do so twice as much as they did 10 years ago, the report said.
Under the new proposals, police will be encouraged to increase the use of existing powers to discourage anti-social behaviour , such as fines and exclusion orders that ban offenders from certain venues.
Police will also enlist undercover officers to test pubs and clubs that are suspected of selling drinks to minors.
The government also wants to stop bars from encouraging heavy drinking with promotions such as an "all you can drink for STG10 ($A25)" evening.
Rob Hayward, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said the recommendations were a fair compromise to tackle a minority of people who abuse alcohol and fuel anti-social behaviour.
The Strategy Unit report found that more than 17 million working days in Britain are lost to hangovers and drink-related illness each year, costing employers STG6.4 billion ($A15.8 billion), and there are 1.2 million incidents of alcohol-related violence annually, costing police STG7.3 billion ($A18 billion) a year.
Four out of 10 visits to hospital casualty wards are alcohol-related, rising to seven out of 10 on weekends between midnight and 5am, and costing the British taxpayer STG1.7 billion ($A4.2 billion) a year, the report said.
At the same time, the British government collected more than STG7 billion in tax revenues on alcohol in 2002, according to the Wine and Spirits Association.
