The UK Prime Minister has warned the drinks industry to ‘get more
involved’ with the issues of under-age and binge-drinking in the
country, or face tougher action in the future.
Gordon Brown has today (21 November) met with drinks producers, doctors and academics with a view to drawing up a Christmas crackdown on excessive alcohol consumption in the UK.
The “coordinated” approach will “build upon the efforts to deal with some of the problems, particularly related to our target groups – that is young people and binge-drinkers,” Brown said.
A home office campaign, starting today, will target pubs, clubs and off-licences in areas with a poor reputation for alcohol-related disorder.
Speaking after the meeting, Jeremy Beadles, the chief executive of the UK Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said: “The most important outcome was the clear consensus that there is no magic bullet to deal with problem drinking and that a coordinated approach is needed to deal with this complex issue.
“A number of people made the point that short-term measures like tax increases on alcohol will be unpopular with the public and will not necessarily affect problem drinking. Instead Government and industry must work together to emphasise the need for greater individual and parental responsibility and to put in place long-term plans to improve education on the issue.”
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By GlobalDataDavid Poley, chief executive of the Portman Group, added: “There was broad agreement that responsible drinking education and campaigning can drive further improvements in the nation’s drinking habits.”
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