Labour ministers face fury over plans to ban one group of Brits from buying 0% alcohol, with critics branding the “gateway drug” theory as a new attack on British pubs.
Keir Starmer with a pint. (Image: Getty)
Labour is set to ban alcohol-free drinks for under-18s despite critics blasting the move as “utterly bonkers”. Whitehall bureaucrats are drafting plans to stop under-18s buying 0% booze over fears it could be a “gateway” to drinking.
Furious opponents have slammed the move as “yet another attack on our pubs”, with Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith blasting it as “anti-business”. Mr Griffith said: “This is utterly bonkers. Ministers are banning sensible, zero-alcohol choices for 16 and 17-year-olds while claiming they want safer drinking and lower drink-drive limits.
“A pint of 0 % Guinness is not a gateway drug. For many people, it is a responsible alternative to drinking alcohol, especially when young people can legally buy alcohol the moment they turn 18.” He added: “This is yet another attack on our pubs at a time when they are already struggling under this Government’s anti-business red tape and punitive hikes in business rates.”
Health ministers announced last week that the Government intended to crack down on access to no and low-alcohol products amid sweeping changes set to make it harder for people to buy drinks. Current laws permit the sale of beer, wine, or cider with a meal to 16- or 17-year-olds if they are accompanied by an adult and do not make the purchase themselves.
There are, however, no rules stopping youngsters from buying no-alcohol drinks at any point. The Telegraph reported that the move to ban them was being considered, as Whitehall officials believe it encourages young people to drink alcohol once they are able.
Ashley Dalton, a health minister, defended the need to ban non-alcoholic drink sales, claiming it was different from banning soft drinks, “as it is a beverage intentionally crafted to mimic traditional alcoholic drinks like beer, wine or spirits”.
She added: “This is a newly emerging area, but there is some evidence to suggest that exposure to alcohol-like products, even if low or zero alcohol, can normalise drinking, and become a gateway to alcohol consumption. Earlier alcohol use initiation is linked to a higher risk of harmful drinking patterns later in life.”
Andrew Griffith slams the ‘barmy’ ban. (Image: Getty)
The latest attack on Britain’s struggling pubs comes just days after proposed changes to business rates were reported to force around 540 boozers to close should they go ahead.
Now, panicking ministers are reportedly considering a humiliating U-turn on the changes, which would have resulted in a crippling 76% average rate hike for some pubs. Statistics show that half of young adults are now opting to drink “no and low” alcohol drinks, which is twice the 2018 levels.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “This government supports further growth in the no-and-low alcohol market for adults, given the potential to help tackle harmful levels of consumption if the switch is made to lower-alcohol alternatives.”
