Pubs are warned by ACPO president
by John Harrington
Pubs that don't follow the British Beer & Pub Association's (BBPA) code on happy hours and drinks promotions risk being targeted by police and councils.
Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) president Chris Fox has sent out a stern warning to pubs that don't adhere to the new code. He said: "I will be advising my colleagues that where premises become the cause and focus of disorder, and are operating outside the voluntary code, they should use that as evidence to exercise their powers of closure or take other action."
The BBPA hopes that local authorities will ask licensees to adhere to the code, which all 32,000 of its member pubs have signed up to, when they consider applications for new licences.
The code released on Monday bans all-inclusive deals, promotions that encourage speed drinking, and includes guidance for running happy hours.
"We are asking local authorities to use it when considering licence applications," said BBPA communications manager Chris-tine Milburn, "and we want people [submitting application forms] to say that they adhere to BBPA standards on promotions."
Milburn added: "What we also want is to see is the rest of the industry signed up as well."
The pressure on non-BBPA member pubs to adhere to the code intensified this week, after the Local Government Associa-tion (LGA) backed ACPO's warning of the dire consequen-ces for pubs that don't sign up.
Bryony Rudkin, chair of the LGA's Safer Communities Board, warned: "We will watch closely to see how this works in practice and will continue to discourage independent pubs, not covered by this association, from boosting trade through irresponsible drinks promotions, using the new licensing powers at our disposal."
Laurel Pub Company, which last week acquired the Yates Group, has become the first known non-BBPA member to agree to stick to the code. To show its commitment to responsible retailing, Laurel recently installed a yellow button on tills at its bars, allowing staff to "log" instances where they have refused to serve customers, either because they feel they are drunk or under-age.
BBPA director of communications Mark Hastings said: "I think the choice for the industry is absolutely clear. We either regulate ourselves or we have regulation imposed upon us."
A spokeswoman for the Home Office said she was unable to comment on whether the code would be included in the forthcoming Violent Crime Reduc-tion Bill, which, among other things, aims to give greater powers for police to shut "problem" pubs.
Home Office minister Hazel Blears gave her endorsement to the code, but said it was only part of the bid to develop and roll-out an "industry-led national standards document".
"The document will include clear protocols around seeking proof of age, clear point-of-sale messages and effective end-of-evening dispersal policies to help people leave premises quickly and safely," she said.
It had been expected that the code, which has been used by BBPA member companies for more than a year, would be published at the start of 2004. But publication was delayed until the terms of the code were given the go-ahead by the Office of Fair Trading, which it finally came through a couple of months ago. Further delay was caused because the code had to be accepted by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, because it is referred to in the Licensing Act guidance notes.
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Happy hours guidelines
Pubs should provide food or snacks during early evening
Set a clear time period. The shorter it is, and the greater the discount available, the stronger the incentive may be to binge
Cut-price soft drinks should also be offered
Banned promotions include:
All-inclusives
Reward schemes redeemable only over a short period of time
Drinking games
Promotions involving large amounts of free drink, such as "women drink free"
Promotions that are an incentive to speed drinking, such as: "If you finish your first bottle of wine by nine, the next one is on us"
Promotions linked to unpredictable events, such as "free drinks for five minutes after every England goal"
Promotions that encourage or reward the purchase of large amounts of alcohol in a single session
Promotions that refer to consuming alcohol to recover from previous over-indulgence, or glamourise excessive or irresponsible drinking. Effects of intoxication should not be referred to in a favourable manner
Use of image/symbols/characters or people in promotional material that appeal primarily to under-18s. Characters can only be used if their "primary appeal is to adults"
Direct or indirect references to drugs