Pubs urged to get behind the Drinkaware Trust

Pubs are being urged to get behind a new partnership between the drinks industry and the government aimed at raising awareness of responsible drinking.

Building on the Drinkaware brand already established on billions of drinks bottles and cans, the Drinkaware Trust will seek to promote sensible drinking across the UK.

The trust is being spun off from drinks watchdog The Portman Group to take over the organisation's campaigning remit.

Speaking at last month's Publican Industry Leaders Forum, Enterprise Inns chief executive Ted Tuppen said the trust had "the potential to be the focus for the entire industry" in the battle to raise awareness of responsible drinking."

Mr Tuppen is on the steering group behind the launch of the charity, which has won £12m of backing from the drinks industry over the next three years.

Jean Coussins, chief executive of The Portman Group, said: "I hope the trust will make a real difference to drinking behaviour. It's an organisation for the long haul.

"Pubs and licensees need to get behind the various campaigns the trust will be running so that they can be clearly seen at the point of sale."

One of the first jobs of the new trust will be to come up with a new strategy for drink-driving in the run-up to Christmas.

Thirteen trustees from within in and outside the industry will be appointed before September to take the charity forward, with a senior civil servant steppng in as interim CEO.

Health minister Caroline Flint described the body as "an international first".

"The trust is a model of how industry, stakeholders and government can work together," she said. "Alcohol is a normal part of society and we're not trying to stop that. What we are saying is that people need to be sensible and not drink excess amounts."

The Drinkaware message, which has been promoted by The Portman Group since 2002, will this year be seen on three billion bottles and cans, and on £150m-worth of TV, cinema and print advertising.

The Portman Group will continue to run the drinks industry's own Code of Practice. To find out more information go to www.drinkaware.co.uk