BII response to the comments made by the Health Alcohol Alliance.

13-Nov-2007

 

 

John McNamara, BII Chief Executive said, “The UK is already the second highest taxed country in the European Union in tax on alcohol and we are still tackling alcohol related issues. The industry has been working hard to establish a high level of social responsibility but the real key to tackling the issues of young people being admitted to hospital through the abuse of alcohol is education. BII launched its ground breaking Certificate in Alcohol Awareness (CAA) in October and already 70 educational establishments are offering this qualification. Some areas are picking up the CAA as part Crime and Disorder reduction strategies. This qualification has wide uses in both educating drinkers of the future and also the problem drinkers of today.

 

“The way forward is not to tell children about the evils of drink in isolation, they need to be aware of all the wider issues surrounding the use of alcohol and how to make an educated choice about alcohol consumption. This qualification offers this. Feedback from young people who have already completed the course makes it clear that their approach to alcohol has been altered in a positive manner.

 

“Cheapness and availability of alcohol is not an issue in other European countries, we have to look at a cultural change in the UK not banging up taxes and making alcohol harder to obtain. Cultural change begins with educating young people now and also having a realistic view that young people will experiment with alcohol but with a sound backing of education will not end up as a horror statistic.”

 

BII is showcasing its annual Responsible Alcohol Retailing Week in Liverpool this week, raising the positive profile of licensed trade and the value to the community of partnership working between the licensed trade, police, local authorities and health professionals.

As part of the BII Responsible Alcohol Retailing Week, BIIAB approved training centres across England and Wales will be running training leading to the BIIAB Level 1 Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR) on 14th November. It is expected that over 200 people across the country will be taking the exam on this date.

 The ARAR provides essential knowledge and understanding of the responsibilities of alcohol retailers authorised by a personal licence holder to sell alcohol. It will enable those who complete the qualification to act within the law to support the designated premises supervisor to retail alcohol responsibly on their licensed premises.