The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has collaborated with National Pubwatch to produce an educational film that aims to raise awareness around the laws on serving drunk people and buying drinks for drunk friends.
The film supplements a wider BBPA campaign on serving drunks, which launched in partnership with National Pubwatch and Drinkaware on Global Beer Responsibility Day in September 2016. The campaign uses posters and a suite of infographics that have been deployed across BBPA and Drinkaware social media channels.
The educational film addresses two key aspects of the Licensing Act: it is illegal for licensed premises to serve drunk people, and it is illegal to purchase drinks for a friend who is drunk.
The film, and wider campaign, follow a YouGov survey commissioned by the BBPA which highlighted that more than one in four people (27%) do not believe that the statement “It is against the law in the UK to knowingly sell alcohol to someone who is drunk” is true. The same survey showed that 40% of people don’t know that it is against the law to buy alcohol for someone who is drunk.
BBPA chief executive, Brigid Simmonds, said: “We are delighted to have worked with National Pubwatch to create this new film, which I’m sure will help raise awareness of the law and aid licensees, who can be put in a very difficult position and risk breaking the law if pressured to serve drunk customers.
“Serving drunks has long been illegal, and in the vast majority of cases, pubs are safe and responsible venues where drinks are served in a highly supervised environment by well-trained staff.”
Steve Baker, chairman of National Pubwatch, added: “Many people are unaware that it is an offence to knowingly buy alcohol for someone who is drunk. I hope our work with the BBPA will go some way to raise awareness of the law and reduce the risks associated with drunkenness.”
