MP calls for smaller wine glasses

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Title - MP calls for smaller wine glasses
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 30th January 2008

This does seem to be yet another step too far and a fundamental misunderstanding of how to the problem of excess alcohol consumption. With an industry already reeling under the heavy burden of legislation it seems a very poor way to try and tackle problems that occur generally in society, by once again specifically targeting the licensed retail sector.

Society has changed over the last twenty years, the licensed retail sector has had to follow to keep up and the consumption of wine that has rocketed in this time is just one example of that change. Does this MP really believe that people sit at home and still drink out of 125ml glasses and only on special occasions? That is just simply unrealistic and doesn’t happen. I would suggest that he visits any retailer, which will prove that people do not drink wine in these measures any more. Visit IKEA and see how many of their prolific choice of wine glasses measure 125ml; there will be very few. Are we suggesting IKEA should be banned from selling anything but 125ml glasses so that people can protect themselves from excess consumption at home (where the majority of wine is drunk)?

That there is a problem generally in society with excessive alcohol consumption is one thing and the figures speak for themselves, but if the best that an MP can come up with to solve the problem is to enforce the sale of wine in pubs only in 125ml glasses, then really we are electing the wrong people.

There can only be one realistic solution in a free society and that is to make people aware of the facts and let them choose for themselves. Certainly wine consumption in larger glasses may, by many, be misunderstood with regard to the number of units they are consuming, but the answer is simply to make them aware, provide them with the true facts, let them make their own decisions and help them to understand the health risks and the results of their alcohol consumption. A more open, transparent and honest licensed sector can be part of the solution, but if MP’s are going to continue to promote a blame culture where the licensed retail sector is portrayed as the devil, then the mistrust that many people already have of government is going to stall and potentially ruin any chance they ever had of gaining positive co-operation.
My message to MP’s is simple. Stop trying to legislate at every opportunity to divert the blame from the real problem and look for positive partnerships and please think of the bigger picture. Is the size of a wine glass the most important thing you have to consider and do you really believe that this can in anyway solve the bigger problems in our society?

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