Why Britain is turning its back on booze
The TelegraphBut while this boomed during the lockdowns, given the lack of other options, the longer-term trend is one of gradual decline. “Over the last 15 years has been consumers drinking a little less alcohol and paying a little more for the pleasure,” says Miles Beale, chief executive of the WSTA. “We have seen a slowing of midweek sessions and we’ve seen the student market drop off and student unions struggle,” observes Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association. “Yes there are tax receipts on alcohol, but the overall social costs of alcohol – there are various estimates but it’s usually put somewhere above £20 billion a year overall – you have to claw back through taxation,” says Nicholls. “Tony Blair’s café society might be here!” he suggests, harking back to the Labour premier’s hopes for sophisticated continental-style drinking, which, back in 2000, seemed laughably improbable.
History of this topic
Budget 2024: Furious pub owners accuse Labour of doing 'nothing to help' struggling boozers - as Jeremy Clarkson weighs in and punters ridicule penny off pint
Daily Mail
What you’re getting wrong about kids and drinking (and I’m a wine merchant)
The Independent
Alcohol-related deaths soar to an all-time high in wake of Covid - fuelled by 'concerning' uptick in middle-aged women
Daily Mail
Youth drinking is declining – myths about the trend, busted
Salon
'Wine o'clock' culture blamed for UK women being biggest boozers in world: Shock report reveals one in four get hammered each month
Daily Mail
Britons cutting back on alcohol, poll finds
The Independent
Covid lockdown UK: Alcohol-related deaths in England and Wales rose to highest EVER level in 2020
Daily MailDiscover Related
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