One million under 18s refused drink in pubs every month
23-May-2007
More than one million people a month are being turned away from pubs for being under 18 or failing to have the right proof of age, according to a new study by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).
The figures have been released alongside the latest Home Office Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign, with police forces and trading standards officers currently mounting underage test purchase operations in more than 3,000 targeted licensed premises in the on and off trade.
The study also identifies the range of heightened measures being used by pub operators to ensure that pub managers, licensees, and bar staff are tackling underage sales and the public are aware of the industry’s determination to deal with underage sales.
Operators have stepped up their formal training programmes for staff, taking action through regular briefings, reminders, till prompts and signage on how to identify and check potential underage customers and the consequences of failure if things go wrong. Many companies are running their own test purchase operations to identify where failures occur and retraining might be needed.
The legal penalties for failure are £80 on the spot penalty notices for bar staff, with pub managers and licensees liable for fines of up to £10,000 and closure of the pub for persistent failure. Pub companies also have in place formal disciplinary measures for staff.
Pubs are working hard to ensure that staff are trained to accept only passports, driving licences and PASS-accredited proof-of-age as a valid form of identification - the Challenge 21 campaign stresses firmly in its posters and other communications that no other form of ID is acceptable.
