Campaign to banish potent low-cost alcohol

Ipswich: Trailblazing campaign launched to banish cheap super-strength alcohol

by Colin Adwent, crime correspondent Tuesday, September 25, 2012
2:23 PM

Taking the pledge to banish super-strength drink from our streets

A GROUND-breaking drive to banish the curse of cheap super-strength alcohol from Ipswich off-licences was launched today.

Shopkeepers across the town are playing their part in the Reducing the Strength campaign by taking the low-cost, high-density drink off their shelves in the first initiative of its kind in the country.

Among the big names taking the pledge within the Ipswich borough boundary are Tesco, East of England Co-op, and McColls.

Off-licences are also being asked to become Ipswich ‘superheroes’ by becoming ‘Super Strength Free’ and removing these products from their stores.

Suffolk Constabulary, NHS Suffolk, Ipswich Borough Council, Suffolk County Council and the East of England Co-op are working together to halt the sale of the cheap alcohol, which has serious effects on consumers and communities.

The Ipswich Star is also backing the initiative.

Super-strength alcohol includes low-cost lager, beer and cider with an alcohol volume of 6.5 per cent or more.

Licensees in Ipswich have been asked to join the campaign by voluntarily removing these products from their stores.

A total of 23 independent stores are already ‘super-strength free’.

In total there are 130 off-licences in Ipswich, 53 of which will have stopped selling the cheap alcohol after today.

Campaign leaders hope by highlighting the problems associated with this type of alcohol, the number of premises selling it will be reduced, and the public will have a better understanding of the dangers.

The initiative follows the murders of four street drinkers in the town over the past three years.

Speaking on behalf of the campaign partners, Inspector Andrew Mason, of Ipswich police, said: “We are positive that the Reducing the Strength campaign will have significant, long-lasting, positive effects for the people of Ipswich.

“The negative impacts associated with super-strength alcohol are significant for the consumer and the wider community, but also for the public services who deal with the consequences.

“We hope that licensees will share our belief in the positives associated with becoming ‘super-strength free’ and that they will recognise the huge benefits that can result from removing these products from their shelves.

“We are the first county in the country to launch a campaign of this kind, and we hope that with support from our off-licences, we can roll this out across Suffolk, and eventually offer the campaign as a model for public services across the UK.”

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6 comments

What absolute rubbish. If a 6.5% beer is "super strength alcohol" then presumably a 13% bottle of wine is "super mega mega strength" and a 40% bottle of vodka is what???? By and large, people who want to get drunk quickly will go straight for the spirits, have supped a bottle long before it fully kicks in. So the council wants to push more people on to spirits?

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John O'Donnell

Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Does this ban include quality craft products such as Duvel and Old Tom, which are not sold cheaply and not consumed by street drinkers? If so, that seems grossly unreasonable. If not, how can you tell the difference? And it seems unfair once again to target beer and city when many problem drinkers are consuming cheap wine and vodka which are well over 6.5%.

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Old Mudgie

Wednesday, September 26, 2012
This is stupid, an alcoholic will get hold of alcohol, a nice bottle of Henry Weston's would be included in the ban, I prefer it to a bottle of cheaper lower alcohol level cider as it has a nicer taste, so why should I miss out?

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daniel ......

Tuesday, September 25, 2012
I think these stores have been persuaded by the large spirit brands which sell alcohol at 40% or more to target beers and ciders above 6.5%. If you take these beers and ciders off the shelf people will switch to cheap wines (14%abv) or cheap spirits (40%). Don't you realise that this is prohibition through the back door. People will buy what they want in other ways. For example, off lorries and vans in council estates and car parks where there is no regulation about underage drinking. This is a typical middleclass response that wines and G&T's are OK for them but anybody drinking beers and ciders (which have a lower alcohol content) should be banned.

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Your missing the point

Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Spirits contain a 'volume of 6.5 per cent or more'. Will these stores also take all spirits off their shelves?

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chas winfield

Tuesday, September 25, 2012
It is a good idea but those who "need" to buy the stuff, will know where they are still selling it. Would a "name and shame" those still selling it work ? I'm not so sure, would it would drive it to under the counter sales ? Perhaps a listing of ALL those joining the campaign would shame the others.

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The original Victor Meldrew

Tuesday, September 25, 2012