The government plans to ban ‘all you can drink’ promotions in pubs and bars.
The ban is part of what the Home Office terms a £4.5 m crackdown on alcohol-fuelled crime and aggression. It will target both sales in stores and drinks specials in bars.
The decision came after an independent review found that many retailers are not selling alcohol responsibly.
Actions being considered include:
banning offers like ‘all you can drink for £10’
outlawing promotions that target certain groups, such as ‘ladies nights’
banning supermarket deals that require customers to buy large amounts of alcohol to get discounts
making sure consumers can see the unit content on bottles and cans.
The government talks however of ‘taking a targeted approach’.
The government will spend £3 m targeting alcohol-related problems in 190 locations. A further £1.5 m will go to areas with known problems, to help them stop sales of alcohol to underage drinkers, and to ensure they can confiscate alcohol from minors.
The money will also fund public campaigns to educate people about the new rules and the crackdown.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: ‘There is no simple solution to tackling this problem – we all have a responsibility to tackle the binge drinking culture.’
