Minister’s warning to binge drinkers
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has warned that violent binge drinkers will be “severely punished” for their behaviour.
Defending new licensing laws, which will allow up to 24-hour drinking in pubs and clubs, Ms Jowell insisted the new laws would encourage more sensible drinking and help create a more civilised atmosphere in major towns and cities at night.
Speaking to BBC News 24’s Sunday programme, the culture secretary said that without the introduction of the Licensing Act, which comes into force in November, the incidences of binge drinking and alcohol-related violence would get worse.
But critics, including some judges and senior police officers have refuted the government’s insistence that staggering closing times will lead to a reduction in instances of alcohol related anti-social behaviour.
Speaking on Sunday, when the deadline for people objecting to pub and club applications to extend their licensing hours expires, Ms Jowell said: “The majority should not be punished and subjected to a licensing curfew because of the bad behaviour of the minority.”
“But the minority will be severely punished for the behaviour that destroys the peace and quiet enjoyment of a night out of everybody else.”
Ms Jowell added that the new legislation would help tackle underage drinking and older problem drinkers.
She warned that licensees would face “tough new penalties” for serving alcohol to underage drinkers.
“What the new Licensing Act will do to tackle binge drinking specifically is to toughen the law about access to alcohol and young people,” she said.
“After all, these kids who are getting drunk are getting the alcohol from somewhere.”
“The new Licensing Act will make it a criminal offence to sell alcohol to a young person under 18.”
Around two thirds of the 190,000 licensed premises in England and Wales are expected to apply to extend their opening hours.
