Mandatory code comes into force

'All-you-can-drink' deals outlawed

Phase-one aimed at irresponsible licensees

A mandatory code of conduct for British licensees – banning promotions deemed to encourage binge drinking – came into force today.

The code outlaws ‘all-you-can-drink’ deals and ‘dentist chair’ games – in which spirits are poured directly into the mouths of revellers – and imposes six-month jail terms and fines of up to £20,000 for offending publicans.

Due to be beefed up in October with further conditions forcing more rigorous age-checks, the code today banned woman-drink-free and ‘speed-drinking’ deals and made it a legal requirement for tap water to be freely available in pubs and clubs.

The measures are aimed at stamping out binge drinking, which the government says costs the country up to £13 billion a year. Home Office minister Alan Campbell said the code will target the minority of drinks retailers that continue to run promotions that “fuel excessive drinking”.

“The code will see an end to these promotions and ensure premises check the ID of those who appear to be underage, helping to make our towns and city centres safer places for those who just want to enjoy a good night out,” added Campbell.

A second phase of conditions, drawn up in consultation with the industry, will come into effect on October 1st, forcing publicans to offer smaller measures of beer, wine and spirits, as well as promoting tighter minimum age policies.

Guidance for retailers released today outlines a non-exhaustive raft of activities deemed to encourage irresponsible drinking, including deals that condone drunkenness or offer a free drink after a specific quantity is consumed.

The code comes into action on the day the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) - the trade body that has claimed the government’s measures unfairly penalise the on-trade without bringing the country’s supermarkets to task – released new figures on the country’s declining pub trade.

The BBPA figures reveal that almost 40 pubs are closing each week across Britain, with Northwest and Northeast England and East Anglia faring the worst. According to the statistics, compiled by CGA Strategy, 1,565 pubs in England, Scotland and Wales closed between June and December last year.