Anand: crackdown on wild drinking

Rooney Anand | Monday July 5, 2010 00:00

But it saddens me that there's more to alcohol than enjoying a pint of Old Speckled Hen outside a country pub.I am deeply concerned by the profound, negative impact that alcohol misuse is having on society. Most people drink alcohol in moderation, but irresponsible drinking is contributing to rising levels of antisocial behaviour and alcohol-related health issues, such as liver disease - one of the only significant diseases to have increased in incidence in the past 20 years in the UK.

I also fear that if no attempt is made to solve this growing culture of irresponsible drinking, then the alcohol industry is likely to face punitive sanctions.

Such a crackdown would not just hurt the profits of companies such as mine - it would be detrimental to the hundreds of thousands of people who work in pubs, restaurants and breweries, and to the millions of our customers who enjoy, rather than abuse, drink.

Government supportDavid Cameron and Nick Clegg have called for a new kind of politics and, echoing that theme, I would like to see a concerted effort to address this important issue. There has been a lot of speculation and conjecture about the causes of irresponsible drinking and what should be done to solve the problem.

One thing, however, is clear. The industry does not have all the answers and we cannot wave a magic wand to conjure up a solution overnight. Nevertheless, there are things that we as an industry can do here and now, with the support of our government, to tackle binge drinking. I would like to see a minimum price set for the sale of alcohol.

It is a basic law of economics that price is a big factor in influencing demand, so it must make sense that setting a realistic minimum price will discourage bulk-buying drinks.

Restrictions on salesFurthermore, I would like to see greater restriction across the industry on the purchase of alcohol, to ensure responsible retailing. These could include, for example, more stringent legislation banning the sale of alcohol to drunk people and more restrictions on the times of day you can buy alcohol.

In real terms alcohol has become cheaper and its consumption patterns have become markedly different from those in the past, with more people drinking at home and in public places and a wider range of alcohol readily available at low prices.

The deregulation of the licensing laws - it is now easier to obtain a license and you can stay open much later than in the past - has made alcohol more available but also its consumption harder to be policed. Both factors have made it too easy for younger drinkers, who are often less well off, and for those with dependency issues to buy and consume excessive amounts.

New codeI would like to see an industry code spanning producers and retailers (both on and off-trade) with full government backing, designed to make changes that would have a real impact - both to the real price of alcohol, via a realistic minimum price per unit, and restrictions on its sale.

The code itself should, in my view, cover such aspects as promotions, pricing, times of sale and restrictions on who you can sell to. It does not have to be mandatory, but compliance should be made public and there should be consequences for those who don't comply.