Why let good times go bad campaign
Colin Shevills, Director of Balance, said: “We welcome any measures which actively reduce the amount of alcohol people consume. Changing attitudes and behaviour is a long term commitment and the next step is to use these findings to develop a greater understanding of why people drink and what would encourage them to reduce their consumption.
“Balance is committed to developing this long-term understanding to effect positive and lasting change in the North East. Regional research we conducted last year reveals that 49% of 18-24 year-olds in the region drink to get drunk. We have also discovered that other big motivations include alcohol providing confidence and relieving boredom. The majority of this age group say their decision to drink more is based upon price.
“In addition to understanding behaviour and encouraging better personal choices, reducing the amount of alcohol people consume requires a range of measures. Although important, understanding and informing is not enough. We need greater legislation if we are serious about tackling the problems caused by alcohol misuse.
“We know that today’s young men are drinking twice as much as their grandfathers did – and one of the main reasons is that alcohol is cheaper now than ever before. Introducing a minimum price per unit of alcohol would tie price to alcohol strength, having a big impact on cheap, strong alcohol traditionally consumed by younger and heavier drinkers. It is a targeted approach to hit those doing the most damage – to themselves and our communities – and would have little or no effect on the price of a pint in the average British pub.”