Alcohol information service receives funding boost

Drinkaware has confirmed details of its new funding structure that will enable the alcohol information service to boost its marketing efforts.

Drinkers

Fifty producers, pub firms and retailers will contribute a total of £5m per year for the next three years to fund the service that provides consumers with “the facts” about alcohol misuse.

The move follows months of negotiation between the Government and the drinks industry to ensure Drinkaware can continue to fund its campaigns and to ensure a fairer distribution of contributions.

It is understood that producers and retailers will contribute according to how much they produce and how much they sell, with the biggest, such as Diageo and Tesco, volunteering more.

Previously, industry body The Portman Group, which is made up of the UK’s nine biggest drinks companies contributed the majority of the service’s funding.

The announcement follows the July revelation that Drinkware was in urgent talks with the industry and the Government over its future funding after admitting it faced a £2m shortfall this year.

The Drinkaware logo and a link to its website appears on the majority of marketing campaigns developed by the major UK producers. The charity worked with the industry to develop the recently launched £100m Campaign for Smarter Drinking, which is a coalition of producers and retailers that aims to change young people’s attitudes towards alcohol.

According to a statement, the money will be used to “amplify current campaigns” targeting young people as well as building its digital marketing efforts and developing “more compelling education and information programmes.”

Andy Burnham, secretary of state for health, says Government action to tackle alcohol can only “succeed if the industry step up to the mark and play their part in changing attitudes and helping people drink responsibly”.

He adds: “”Drinkaware have made good progress so far, and it’s encouraging that they can continue with more stable funding.”

The charity has been upping its marketing efforts this year following its rebranding from Drinkaware Trust in June, launching a summer campaign targeting sporting events and music festivals. It also recently advertised heavily at an international netball tournament to target female drinkers. It also recently teamed up with sexual health advice service Brook to launch an initiative to help ensure young people get home safely from nights out.