crabby
LE
Basically smoking style labels to stop people getting drunk... will it work? Can see why they're doing it but a LOT of people drink to get drunk...
The Times
"HEALTH warnings on cans of lager and bottles of beer and wine are being introduced to cut binge drinking.
The alerts are also being put up in pubs and off-licences and on menus and supermarket shelves. Messages such as, âIf you do do drink, donât do drunkâ, are also appearing on pub beer mats.
About 80 per cent of beer and lager cans and bottles already bear messages urging consumers to drink sensibly and include information on the number of alcoholic units that they contain.
Bolder messages on labels in future, however, may say, âDonât Do Drunkâ. Caroline Flint, the Public Health Minister, is keen that such warnings will be common on all alcoholic drinks packs within two years.
She spoke out as a BBC survey of 54 hospital casualty units in the United Kingdom found that 34 were seeing more alcohol-related patients than five years ago. Twenty-five said that they had even treated 11 and 12-year-olds for binge drinking.
The minister has ruled out new laws to force companies to adopt alcohol warnings on labels, confident that the move will be achieved by agreement.
Pubs are trying to introduce a standard glass of wine to help consumers to keep note of their alcohol intake. A standard glass is 175ml, which is the equivalent of two units of alcohol. A 300ml half-pint glass of beer is the equivalent of one unit. Most wine consumed in the country is 13 to 14 per cent alcohol and beer is at 4.5 to 5 per cent strength.
Ms Flint is in talks with industry chiefs to decide the best messages and also to ensure consistent approaches throughout the brands.
She said last night: âNobody is saying you canât have a drink, but you know, think about your drinking and its consequences.â
She said that she was in a bar recently in Stockton-on-Tees in the North East and saw beer mats that showed the number of units in different drinks. âIt was there on the bar, people could see that as they were waiting to be served.
âIt is already happening. What weâve got to look at is whether it is consistent, whether itâs understood by the public. âDonât Do Drunkâ is a good example of what we encapsulate in what we are talking about here.â
New ways to curb sales of alcohol to underage drinkers and for landlords and bar staff more readily to refuse to serve people who had drunk to excess are also being explored.
The British Beer and Pub Association said that many sensible drinking messages were already seen on packs.
Mark Hastings, a spokesman, said: âWe are trying to distinguish between responsible and irresponsible drinking. There are already big signs behind the bar in pubs, on menus, on cans and bottles and on beer mats. We support anything that helps people make better decisions about their drinking to ensure they donât drink to excess.â
Scottish & Newcastle, the brewer, introduced the new labelling to Newcastle Brown Ale in 2004 and last year Diageo, which produces some of the countryâs best known brands including Bellâs whisky, Smirnoff vodka, Gordonâs gin and Guinness, followed suit with labels giving nutritional information about drinks as well as their alcohol content.
PAYING THE PRICE FOR EXCESS
Last year the Home Office said antisocial binge drinkers could be banned from city centres and licensed premises for up to two years
It added that alcohol disorder zones could be set up in areas blighted by disorder. Licensed premises would have to pay a levy
Banning drinking alcohol on public transport was proposed but it would stop train passengers having a glass of wine in buffet cars
Other proposals include increasing the fine for off-licences selling to minors and doubling fines for drink-related offences
In Scotland ministers have announced a ban on happy hours and promotions that encourage quick drinking
The Scottish Executive is making restaurants and pubs that have charged for tap water provide it free, and offer non-alcoholic drinks at a âreasonableâ price"
The Times
"HEALTH warnings on cans of lager and bottles of beer and wine are being introduced to cut binge drinking.
The alerts are also being put up in pubs and off-licences and on menus and supermarket shelves. Messages such as, âIf you do do drink, donât do drunkâ, are also appearing on pub beer mats.
About 80 per cent of beer and lager cans and bottles already bear messages urging consumers to drink sensibly and include information on the number of alcoholic units that they contain.
Bolder messages on labels in future, however, may say, âDonât Do Drunkâ. Caroline Flint, the Public Health Minister, is keen that such warnings will be common on all alcoholic drinks packs within two years.
She spoke out as a BBC survey of 54 hospital casualty units in the United Kingdom found that 34 were seeing more alcohol-related patients than five years ago. Twenty-five said that they had even treated 11 and 12-year-olds for binge drinking.
The minister has ruled out new laws to force companies to adopt alcohol warnings on labels, confident that the move will be achieved by agreement.
Pubs are trying to introduce a standard glass of wine to help consumers to keep note of their alcohol intake. A standard glass is 175ml, which is the equivalent of two units of alcohol. A 300ml half-pint glass of beer is the equivalent of one unit. Most wine consumed in the country is 13 to 14 per cent alcohol and beer is at 4.5 to 5 per cent strength.
Ms Flint is in talks with industry chiefs to decide the best messages and also to ensure consistent approaches throughout the brands.
She said last night: âNobody is saying you canât have a drink, but you know, think about your drinking and its consequences.â
She said that she was in a bar recently in Stockton-on-Tees in the North East and saw beer mats that showed the number of units in different drinks. âIt was there on the bar, people could see that as they were waiting to be served.
âIt is already happening. What weâve got to look at is whether it is consistent, whether itâs understood by the public. âDonât Do Drunkâ is a good example of what we encapsulate in what we are talking about here.â
New ways to curb sales of alcohol to underage drinkers and for landlords and bar staff more readily to refuse to serve people who had drunk to excess are also being explored.
The British Beer and Pub Association said that many sensible drinking messages were already seen on packs.
Mark Hastings, a spokesman, said: âWe are trying to distinguish between responsible and irresponsible drinking. There are already big signs behind the bar in pubs, on menus, on cans and bottles and on beer mats. We support anything that helps people make better decisions about their drinking to ensure they donât drink to excess.â
Scottish & Newcastle, the brewer, introduced the new labelling to Newcastle Brown Ale in 2004 and last year Diageo, which produces some of the countryâs best known brands including Bellâs whisky, Smirnoff vodka, Gordonâs gin and Guinness, followed suit with labels giving nutritional information about drinks as well as their alcohol content.
PAYING THE PRICE FOR EXCESS
Last year the Home Office said antisocial binge drinkers could be banned from city centres and licensed premises for up to two years
It added that alcohol disorder zones could be set up in areas blighted by disorder. Licensed premises would have to pay a levy
Banning drinking alcohol on public transport was proposed but it would stop train passengers having a glass of wine in buffet cars
Other proposals include increasing the fine for off-licences selling to minors and doubling fines for drink-related offences
In Scotland ministers have announced a ban on happy hours and promotions that encourage quick drinking
The Scottish Executive is making restaurants and pubs that have charged for tap water provide it free, and offer non-alcoholic drinks at a âreasonableâ price"