13 October 2008 Safe Sensible Social

13 October 2008 9.00 BST

Safe, Sensible, Social Consultation Period Draws to an End

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Aspects of the Home Office and The Department of Health’s alcohol strategy – Safe Sensible Social - were issued to licensees this weekend ahead of the closure of the strategy’s consultation period on Tuesday. The proposals include a ban on offering free drinks to women, while wine glasses in restaurants may have to carry liquid measurements on the side.

The industry code also criticises the failure of extension of extended licensing hours
to bring about a continental-style drinking culture in the UK, and criticises promotional activity that suggests alcohol improves the drinker’s "social, sexual, physical, mental and financial or sporting performance".

The code is expected to provoke anger from a nightclub industry already feeling the effects of economic slow down, with many criticising the distorted picture of antisocial drinking created by the media.

“One of the major problems with this consultation - and with other such consultations over recent years - is that they are chasing shadows,” Paul Smith, Director of Noctis, has said.

“The same Safe, Sensible, Social document also states, quoting from recent crime figures in England and Wales from the Home Office Official Bulletin, that: “alcohol-related violent crime fell by a third from 1.5 million incidents in 1997 to fewer than 1 million in 2007/08”. The next statement is very telling, as it counters these actual figures with: “over the past five years, the proportion of people who think drunk and rowdy behaviour in public places is a fairly big or very big problem in their area rose from 22% to 25% of those asked.

“The difficulty is that some of the accusations which are levelled at our industry feel true to many - not because they are true - but because the general public at large, fuelled by a mischievous media, believe it to be true. “

A Home Office spokesman confirmed that a draft of "a possible code" had been sent to bar and restaurant owners. "It's not a statement of government policy," he said. "It was to give government stakeholders an idea of what the code is going to say. You might assume that the thrust will be the same if the details change."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "Although no final decision has been made, the government's initial belief is that the code should be revised with a view to making it mandatory in retail premises that sell alcohol."

From: Night Online

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