The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has welcomed the Government’s proposals to crack down on under-age drinking, urging publicans to work closely with schools on alcohol awareness.
The Youth Alcohol Action Plan, which was unveiled yesterday, calls on publicans to ID check drinkers who look under the age of 21.
It also calls for an increase in voluntary test purchase programmes as part of plans to tackle under-age drinking.
John McNamara, chief executive of BII, said: “We welcome the focus that the announcement of this plan puts on increasing awareness of alcohol and the dangers of its misuse to young people and to their parents.”
The BII has been the standard-bearer for the pub industry’s counter claims that it is contributing to the UK’s binge drinking culture.
Last summer it piloted a Level One Certificate in Alcohol Awareness in West London, backed by pub operator Fuller’s, aimed at educating children aged 13 and above.
Since then the scheme has gone national with over 100 schools and 500 pupils taking part.
“Clearly, there is much work to be done in this area and we are continually evaluating the Schools Project to ensure it is effective and is achieving its objectives,” said McNamara.
We will be using our knowledge and understanding of the issues surrounding alcohol education to feed into the Government’s consultation process on these latest guidelines.”
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By Christopher Walton
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