Alcohol consumption declines
Figures compiled by the BBPA confirm the pattern of a downward trend in alcohol consumption since 2004.
Alcohol consumption (measured in 100 percent alcohol) was six percent lower in 2008 than in 2004: 8.9 litres per head against 9.5 litres per head. Consumption has fallen by 4.6 percent since the introduction of the Licensing Act in 2005, resulting in a saving to the economy of GBP 2.3 billion (EUR 2.5 billion) over the past three years. The current reduced level of consumption in 2008 could save the economy GBP 8.0 billion over ten years, according to the government’s own figures – even without any further decreases in consumption.
Moreover, of 20 countries where comparable data is available, the UK ranks only 14th in alcohol consumption per head – well behind France and Germany.
The BBPA believes that the sharp downward trend in consumption should give the government pause for thought as it continues to press ahead with plans for tax increases and a mandatory code for pubs, contained in the Policing & Crime Bill.
The British Beer and Pub Association is the UK’s leading organisation representing the brewing and pub sector. Its members account for 98 percent of the beer brewed in the UK and own nearly two thirds of Britain’s 56,000 pubs.
