York landlords could soon be fined for serving people who have had one too many. But many in the licensed trade are unhappy about the latest attempt to curb binge drinking, as Gavin Aitchison reports.

THE COST of alcohol abuse in Britain is on the increase.

According to Government statistics, it causes 22,000 premature deaths each year, and some 17 million working days are lost annually through drink-induced absences.

Alcohol-related crime, meanwhile, costs the public £7.3 billion.

But the Government is fighting back. Last week, the Home Office introduced three new penalty notices for disorder (PNDs). On-the-spot fines were brought in for selling drink to someone who is already drunk, and increased fines were introduced for youngsters who try to buy drink.

But while the move has been welcomed in some quarters, it has been vehemently opposed in others, and opinion in York is strongly divided.

Alison Tubbs, service manager at York Alcohol Abuse Service in Bootham, welcomed the new fines, but said they were just a beginning in a long battle.

She said: "The theory behind it is sound, and we are going in the right direction. But it's not the only thing we have to do.

"There is a pressure for a culture change in Britain. We need to get rid of the power drinking - things like happy hours and cheap drinks promotions. York suffers from the same problems as other cities. People are going out earlier and getting drunk a lot quicker. As a service, we are extremely busy.

"We have to discourage people from getting drunk as soon as they can. Things like table shooters, where people bring drinks to your table are a problem. When that happens, people are far more likely to say 'yes' to another drink. If people start getting fined for offering drink to people who are already drunk, that's a very positive move."

But where Ms Tubbs welcomed the new PNDs, others were far from happy. Anita Adams, pictured left, landlady at the Golden Slipper, in Goodramgate, York, said the industry had been "unfairly hammered" by the Government.

She said: "We have an ethos in this country now where whenever anyone commits some misdemeanour, it's not their fault.

"There's always someone else to blame. How are they going to police this?" she asked.

"You could have someone who comes in to a pub from another pub, gets to the bar and is refused service because they're drunk. When they then get outside and fall over, who will the police blame? They would need to prove who actually sold them the drink - but isn't the person who bought the drink more to blame.

"Often, people can be very drunk, but look sober."

Ms Adams added: "I have spent 25 years in this business, in four pubs, where I have had very little trouble. And I now have to prove to people who know nothing about this industry that I can do my job. On top of that, they are going to make my staff responsible for people who have no self-control. This Government should be ashamed of itself.

"Why don't they just come and run the pubs, and we can run the country?"

Paying the penalty on booze

The new penalty notices for disorder give police the power to issue on-the-spot fines of £80 to anyone caught selling drink to someone who is already drunk.

Fines for underage drinkers were also introduced, meaning under-18s and under-16s caught trying to buy alcohol can now be fined £50 and £30 respectively.

Announcing the new powers, Home Office minister Hazel Blears said: "These two new penalty notices will help local police tackle underage drinking and irresponsible selling, which we know cause problems with alcohol-fuelled disorder."

The fines for youngsters mean both the buyer and seller of alcohol can be punished.

Culture secretary, Tessa Jowell, said: "We will never condone and we can't ignore underage and binge drinking. That's why it's not only the seller, but also the buyer who will take the rap when alcohol is sold to under-18s. It sends out a clear message - if the law is broken both parties must pay a price."

Ms Jowell said the moves would lead to "more freedom for responsible adults, and tougher treatment for the yobbish minority".

Figures published last month showed alcoholic liver disease increased by 116 per cent in men, and 108 per cent in women between 1989 and 2003, and the annual cost to the National Health Service of alcohol abuse is £1.7 billion.

The new penalties are part of a Government drive to combat binge drinking, and are added to a series of existing penalties. Fines of £80 can be imposed for drunk and disorderly behaviour; selling alcohol to anyone under 18; and buying alcohol, or allowing the delivery of alcohol to anyone under 18. The £50 offences include being drunk in the street; drinking in public where a ban is in place; or consumption of alcohol in a bar by anyone under 18.

Updated: 10:39 Monday, April 11, 2005