All-you-can-drink pub landlords face jail in binge drinking fight

All-you-can-drink pub landlords face jail in binge drinking fight

By Katherine Faulkner

Last updated at 8:26 AM on 06th April 2010

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Pub owners who offer 'all you can drink' promotions could be jailed from today under new laws designed to curb binge drinking.

Landlords could face six months in prison for offering promotions that lead to irresponsible drinking, such as drinking games and free drinks for women.

The new rules ban the use of 'dentists’ chairs' – in which alcohol is poured directly into the mouths of customers so that they cannot control how much they drink.

And staff in pubs and bars must now offer free tap water free to all drinkers by law.

From July, pubs and bars will also be forced to offer smaller drinking measures so that customers can choose to drink less.

And they will have to ask anyone who looks younger than eighteen for identification before selling them alcohol.

Home Office figures show crime and disorder caused by binge drinking is costing the taxpayer between £8billion and £13billion per year.

Home Office minister Alan Campbell admitted new measures were necessary to combat the huge problems caused by the availability of cheap alcohol in bars and clubs.

The Government has been widely criticised for its lax attitude to binge drinking.

Ministers predicted the introduction of 24-hour drinking in 2005 would create a relaxed, European-style 'cafe culture'.’

Instead it turned many town centres into no-go areas on Friday and Saturday nights.

Mr Campbell said: 'Alcohol related crime costs the UK billions of pounds every year. While the vast majority of retailers are responsible, a minority continue to run irresponsible promotions which fuel the excessive drinking that leads to alcohol related crime and disorder.

'This code will see an end to these promotions and ensure premesis check the ID of those who appear to be underage.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1263837/All-drink-pub-landlords-face-jail-binge-drinking-fight.html#ixzz0kJE70Kyz