Drinks Promotions Statement UPDATE

08 February 2012

Colin Neill, Chief Executive of Pubs of Ulster said:

"The responsible retailing of alcohol is of paramount importance to Pubs of Ulster and whilst the majority of the licensed trade acts in a responsible manner, there are a small number who choose to push the boundaries on drinks promotions. These irresponsible promotions have no place in our industry, as they appear to encourage the misuse of alcohol in towns and cities across Northern Ireland.

"We therefore welcome and support the Minister's commitment to address the issue and we will continue to work with him and his officials to bring about measures to ensure that the promotion of alcohol is done in a responsible way.

"Pubs of Ulster will also continue to work closely with the trade on measures which will ensure that the sale and promotion of alcohol is done in a way that promotes responsible consumption. We have been working with the Department on a code of practice on drinks promotions which if breached, would have implications for a premises licence. We believe that a code of practice will help reinforce any legislation introduced by the Minister and ultimately tackle the issue of irresponsible promotions going forward."