The drinks industry needs to forge better ties with the government in order to address negative media attention directed at alcohol, according to a leading wine expert.
Speaking at the Wine and Spirit Education Trust's annual lecture in London this week, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association's chairman and former CEO of wine giant Constellation Europe, Christopher Carson, said the drinks industry was an easy target for negative press stories.
"Some people are drinking too much and behaving in an antisocial manner," he said. "The industry is being forced to sort it out, but we should be working together with the government. We need to deliver our side of the bargain."
The government wants the industry to self-regulate but the alternative may be to introduce stricter legislation on how companies promote their products, according to Carson: "The cost of alcohol-related illness in the UK is £1.7bn, which is the same as tobacco." He asked delegates to remember that wine is very much part of this problem. "The choice of drink for women aged 21 to 33 years old is white wine."
Carson said the industry should continue to develop sensible drinking messages and age verification systems in order to maintain a positive image for alcohol and avoid threats such as a ban on alcohol advertising, which has been introduced across the tobacco industry.
"Every time we break ranks and blame another part of the industry we lose out. The on-trade loses to the off-trade, and beer loses to wine. It's because we are not united."
Carson's comments co-incided with the launch of a responsible drinking television campaign by the Department of Health, and the latest release of the Home Office statistics on retailer test sales to underage drinkers. The new figures represent an improvement on the previous year, but show no real progress since the last campaign by the Home Office.
Speaking at the Wine and Spirit Education Trust's annual lecture in London this week, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association's chairman and former CEO of wine giant Constellation Europe, Christopher Carson, said the drinks industry was an easy target for negative press stories.
"Some people are drinking too much and behaving in an antisocial manner," he said. "The industry is being forced to sort it out, but we should be working together with the government. We need to deliver our side of the bargain."
The government wants the industry to self-regulate but the alternative may be to introduce stricter legislation on how companies promote their products, according to Carson: "The cost of alcohol-related illness in the UK is £1.7bn, which is the same as tobacco." He asked delegates to remember that wine is very much part of this problem. "The choice of drink for women aged 21 to 33 years old is white wine."
Carson said the industry should continue to develop sensible drinking messages and age verification systems in order to maintain a positive image for alcohol and avoid threats such as a ban on alcohol advertising, which has been introduced across the tobacco industry.
"Every time we break ranks and blame another part of the industry we lose out. The on-trade loses to the off-trade, and beer loses to wine. It's because we are not united."
Carson's comments co-incided with the launch of a responsible drinking television campaign by the Department of Health, and the latest release of the Home Office statistics on retailer test sales to underage drinkers. The new figures represent an improvement on the previous year, but show no real progress since the last campaign by the Home Office.
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