On-trade

UK posters set out the law on serving alcohol

A new UK poster campaign to help licensees raise awareness of the laws on buying alcohol for a drunken person or knowingly selling alcohol to a person who’s drunk, has been launched.

The British Beer & Pub Association – one of the leading bodies representing Britain’s brewers and pub companies – has been working with National Pubwatch and Drinkaware, with input from the UK’s Home Office, to create two new designs which can be downloaded free-of-charge from the BBPA’s website. They’re also available on the National Pubwatch website for local Pubwatch scheme members and will be made available to the Government’s 20 Local Alcohol Action Areas and to BBPA members.

Under the UK’s Licensing Act 2003 it’s an offence to knowingly sell alcohol to a drunk or to obtain alcohol for a drunken person for consumption on a licensed premises. The two posters address each of these issues and form part of a range of initiatives from the BBPA and the wider industry.

“Raising awareness of the law is a key part of tackling the significant problems around drunken and disorderly behaviour,” stated the UK’s Crime Prevention Minister Lynne Featherstone, “We challenged the alcohol industry to do more to promote responsible drinking and I welcome the BBPA’s campaign.”

BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds commented, “These posters are designed to help licensees who can be put in a very difficult position and risk breaking the law if pressured to serve drunken customers. We need to make sure that the public fully understands that these are offences”.

It’s an offence to knowingly sell alcohol to a drunk or to obtain alcohol for a drunken person for consumption on a licensed premises.

It’s an offence to knowingly sell alcohol to a drunk or to obtain alcohol for a drunken person for consumption on a licensed premises.

 

The campaign has been launched just as new figures show alcohol consumption falling yet again in the UK, by 0.3%, in 2014 – for the eighth year in the past 10. But the beer sector has increased sales and recaptured market share, reversing a long-term trend and extending its lead as the nation’s favourite tipple.

The figures, compiled every year by the BBPA based on HMRC alcohol tax returns, show that alcohol consumption per head is now 18.4% lower than it was in 2004 when the current falling trend began.

However beer’s share of the UK market rose by 1% in 2014 to over 36% – with second-placed wine slipping below 33%. Spirits’ share of the market held steady at 21% with cider at 8%.

Beer’s performance in 2014 is all the more remarkable as bar one small upward blip in 2006, its market share has fallen in every year since 1995, stated the BBPA.

Beer brought in £3.36 billion in duties in 2014, up 1.8% compared with the previous year.

“While the figures certainly bury the myth that overall UK alcohol consumption is inexorably rising, it’s hugely encouraging to see such a solid performance from beer in 2014,” commented Brigid Simmonds.

 

year litres of alcohol per head per year Change on previous year
1998 7.95
1999 8.32 4.6%
2000 8.42 1.3%
2001 8.74 3.8%
2002 9.07 3.8%
2003 9.21 1.5%
2004 9.51 3.3%
2005 9.35 -1.7%
2006 9.04 -3.3%
2007 9.16 1.3%
2008 8.88 -3.1%
2009 8.34 -6.1%
2010 8.36 0.2%
2011 8.16 -2.4%
2012 7.92 -2.9%
2013 7.78 -1.8%
2014 7.76 -0.3%

 


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