Pubs slam “ill conceived” alcohol promotions code
Government plans for a mandatory code on the promotion and sale of alcohol have been slammed by the British Beer & Pub Association (BPA).
The code, currently under consultation, includes proposals aimed at limiting “irresponsible” promotions such as “all you can drink for £10” offers.
The Association claims the code is “untargeted” and “ill conceived” and will increase costs during “acutely challenging times”.
The BPA says implementation costs are likely to be “far in excess” of Government estimates, at about £58 million with ongoing annual costs of £38m.
This, the Association says, would be a “body blow to many struggling pubs”, citing pub closure rates, believed to be about 52 per week.
The Code also proposes that supermarkets be forced to display information on the health impacts of alcohol and asks alcohol retailers to display information about the alcohol unit content of drinks.
The consultation is open until the middle of next month.
