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Press Release

SUPERMARKETS DENY RESPONSIBILITY FOR BINGE DRINKING

16 November 2005

Supermarkets have reacted strongly to a story in today’s “Independent” which gives a misleading impression of a meeting between Home Office Ministers and senior representatives of five major retailers on 26 October to discuss under-age sales of alcohol.

Dr Kevin Hawkins, BRC Director General, who was also present at this meeting, said “On behalf of all BRC members I made it clear that we do not accept that supermarkets are part of the binge drinking problem but we have also agreed to do what we can to assist both the Government and other sections of the licensed trade to tackle the root causes”.

“While supermarkets have always taken the issue of under-age drinking very seriously, they recognise that additional measures are needed and have made a commitment to reduce the incidence of under-age sales of alcohol”.

These measures include a coordinated approach to under age selling across all sections of the on-licensed trade, including smaller retailers, more prominent in-store signage and a review of staff training.

They also emphasised, however, that the Government needs to play its part in achieving a position where all young people, regardless of whether they are over 18 or otherwise, should expect to be challenged for proof of age when trying to buy alcohol and other age-restricted products and should be obliged to carry one standard ID card, such as a PASS card.

“Ministers agreed that our proposals were a constructive basis on which we could all go forward,” Dr Hawkins added.



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British Retail Consortium

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