Sep 75 min read

What are the Responsible Drinking Guidelines in England and Wales?

The responsible drinking guidelines in England and Wales, especially for licensed premises, are aimed at promoting safe and sensible alcohol consumption to protect customers' health, safety, and well-being. These guidelines are based on public health advice and legal requirements. Licensed premises, such as pubs, bars, restaurants, and clubs, play a key role in promoting responsible drinking. Licensing Professionals have written this detailed overview of the key aspects of responsible drinking guidelines for licensed premises in England and Wales:

1. UK Chief Medical Officers' Alcohol Guidelines

The UK Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) have set the following guidelines for alcohol consumption to reduce health risks:

Men and Women: It is recommended that both men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week.
Spread Across Several Days: If consuming alcohol, it is advised to spread the drinking over three or more days, rather than consuming it all in one session, to reduce the risk of health complications and binge drinking.
Alcohol-Free Days: It’s a good idea to have several alcohol-free days each week.

What is a unit?

A unit of alcohol is 10 ml or 8 grams of pure alcohol. As an example:
- A pint of beer (4% ABV) is about 2-3 units.
- A 175 ml glass of wine (13% ABV) is about 2.3 units.
- A single measure (25 ml) of spirits (40% ABV) is about 1 unit.

2. Legal Responsibilities of Licensed Premises

Licensed premises must operate within legal frameworks to ensure responsible alcohol service and consumption. These legal responsibilities include:

Refusal of Service

Serving Intoxicated Individuals: It is illegal to serve alcohol to someone who is clearly drunk or to allow drunk individuals to remain on the premises. Staff should be trained to recognize signs of intoxication and intervene early.
Underage Drinking: It is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18. Licensed premises must have robust procedures in place to check identification (ID) and prevent underage drinking.
- Challenge 25 Scheme: Under this scheme, anyone who appears to be under 25 is asked for ID to confirm their age before being served alcohol. Acceptable forms of ID include a passport, driving license, or a PASS-approved card.

Overconsumption and Binge Drinking

Encouraging Moderate Consumption: Premises should avoid promotions or activities that encourage excessive drinking, such as “all-you-can-drink” offers or heavily discounted alcohol during short “happy hours.”
Monitoring Drinking Behavior: Staff should be trained to monitor customer behavior and identify those who may be drinking excessively or rapidly.

3. Promoting Responsible Drinking

Licensed premises are encouraged to take proactive measures to promote responsible drinking. This can be achieved in various ways:

Providing Information

Unit Information: Make information available to customers about the alcohol content of drinks (in units), enabling them to make informed choices. This information can be displayed on menus or behind the bar.
Health Risks: Display information about the health risks of excessive drinking and provide materials from public health campaigns like Drinkaware, which educates people on the dangers of overconsumption.

Offering Alternatives

Non-Alcoholic and Low-Alcohol Options: Ensure that non-alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks are readily available and promoted as alternatives for patrons who do not wish to consume alcohol or want to reduce their intake.
Food Availability: Serving food alongside alcohol can help slow down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream, reducing the risk of intoxication. Offering snacks or meals throughout drinking hours encourages more responsible consumption.

Smaller Serving Sizes

Offer Smaller Measures: Provide customers with the option of smaller servings, such as a 125 ml glass of wine instead of the standard 175 ml or 250 ml glasses. Similarly, offer half-pints or spirit measures of 25 ml rather than 50 ml.

Water and Soft Drinks

Provide Free Water: It is a legal requirement for licensed premises to offer free tap water to customers. Encouraging customers to drink water between alcoholic beverages can help reduce intoxication.
Promote Soft Drinks: Ensure that soft drinks are available at a reasonable price to encourage patrons to alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

4. Staff Training and Management Practices

Responsible Alcohol Sales Training: All staff should undergo training in responsible alcohol sales. This includes knowing how to refuse service to intoxicated customers, dealing with challenging situations, and understanding the legal requirements related to alcohol sales.
Recognizing Intoxication: Staff should be trained to recognize early signs of intoxication, such as slurred speech, lack of coordination, or aggressive behavior. Early intervention can prevent incidents from escalating.
Conflict Resolution: Ensure that staff know how to de-escalate situations involving intoxicated customers or potential conflicts. Good communication and a calm approach can prevent issues from becoming serious.

5. Preventing Drink Spiking and Anti-Social Behavior

Drink Spiking Awareness: Premises should educate staff about the risks of drink spiking, how to identify suspicious behavior, and how to assist patrons who may have been affected. Providing protective measures, such as drink covers, can also help.
Crowd Control and Security: Ensure that there are clear policies in place for managing large crowds, preventing anti-social behavior, and safely removing intoxicated or unruly individuals from the premises.
CCTV: Many premises have CCTV installed to monitor behavior and deter criminal activity. Ensure that these systems are maintained and that staff know how to report any incidents.

6. Encouraging Safe Travel Home

Taxis and Public Transport: Promote safe travel home by providing contact information for local taxi services or directions to nearby public transport links. Some venues may even partner with local taxi firms to offer discounted rides.
Designated Driver Scheme: Some venues promote designated driver schemes, where the person who agrees not to drink and drives others home is offered free soft drinks throughout the night.

7. Responsible Marketing and Promotions

Avoiding Irresponsible Promotions: It is illegal to engage in irresponsible promotions that encourage binge drinking, such as offering large amounts of alcohol for very low prices. Promotions should encourage moderate consumption, not excessive drinking.
Advertising: Ensure that advertisements and promotions do not glamorize or encourage excessive drinking. Responsible advertising should reflect safe and moderate consumption of alcohol.

8. Legal Penalties for Non-Compliance

Licensed premises that do not promote responsible drinking or fail to comply with legal obligations related to the sale of alcohol could face serious consequences, including:
- Fines.
- Suspension or revocation of the premises license.
- Legal action against the individual serving alcohol.
- Negative impact on the venue’s reputation.