Brighton & Hove Council has proposed a Sensible on Strength campaign to encourage off-licences to stop selling highly alcoholic beer, lager or cider.
The voluntary new scheme was devised with help from Sussex Police and local businesses to prevent street drinkers, crime and public nuisance. A similar idea has previously proved successful in Ipswich and Sensible on Strength will be put before the city’s Licensing Committee on November 21.
Shops that opt into the new plans will display Sensible on Strength stickers meaning that they no longer sell beer, lager or cider above 6% alcohol by volume.
Cllr Stephanie Powell, chair of the Licensing Committee, said: “High-strength drinks can cause immense harm to vulnerable people.”
She continued: “Alcohol-related disorder creates fear of crime and an unpleasant environment for everyone.”
A single 500ml can of 9% lager contains four and a half units of alcohol. This exceeds the government’s daily recommended safe alcohol limit of two to three units for women and three to four units for men.
Jesse Wilde, service manager at Equinox, an outreach programme for people with alcohol problems, confirmed that the removal of super-strength drinks is a positive step for Brighton.
She said: “Street drinkers are more willing to engage with our support and are less likely to put themselves at risk or impact on the wider community when they have consumed weaker alcohol.”
Over 60 off-licences have already volunteered to remove the offending brands from their shelves, including all the off-licences in London Road where there have been problems with street drinkers and public disorder in the past.
Chief Inspector Simon Nelson from Sussex Police, said: “We know that super-strength alcohol is bought with the sole intention of getting drunk fast. This particular scheme is intended to allow retailers to take responsibility towards reducing alcohol related harm.”
If agreed, the Sensible on Strength campaign will be up and running before Christmas.
To read the report for the Licensing Committee about the Sensible on Strength scheme see Agenda Item no. 15 here: http://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=157&MId=4593
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