Stronger drinks put many at risk

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Title – Stronger drinks put many at risk
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 14th December 2007

Everyone working in the licensed retail sector must make themselves aware of the risks involved with alcohol consumption and the effects it has on individuals. This knowledge enables them to act more responsibly in the sale or supply of alcohol in their individual place of work.

With a variety of different premises satisfying the different needs of their community from working men’s clubs to continental style wine / café bars and street corner off licenses to specialist wine merchants, staff require the knowledge of the products they are selling, to be able to better advise their customers. Customers are increasingly concerned with what they are consuming, many more people take an interest in the ingredients in their food and drink and this trend is set to grow with the introduction of new labelling on all bottles and cans containing alcohol, that will show the governments sensible drinking message and the alcohol unit content.

The old and very simple methods of calculating units consumed, where a glass of wine, a single shot or a half pint of beer was the equivalent of one unit, is now completely inappropriate in an environment where double measures are standard, abv’s on beer and wine vary significantly and alcopops come in all shapes, sizes, colours and strengths. It is almost a rarity to see wine served in 125ml glasses any more, yet many still assume that a glass of wine is the equivalent of one unit, an assumption that is both common and dangerous.

Similar problems can also arise as a result of those people who play Russian roulette when it comes to driving after having a drink and who believe themselves to be below the “limit”. Clearly in these cases staff should never advise how much customers can drink and remain below the legal limit. The only responsible message for the industry to send out is, if you are drinking at all, don’t drive! Calculating what and how much is safe to drink and drive is a contradiction in terms.

All your staff need to have the basic knowledge of the products they are selling, to be able to inform customers regarding the products they are consuming. As your client base gets more sophisticated, they will expect this knowledge to be made available to them on demand.

Our comprehensive portfolio of BIIAB accredited licensed retail sector courses can help you and your staff to gain this knowledge and provide better service to your customers as well as enable you to act a responsible alcohol retailer. Our courses including the Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing (ARAR), National Certificate for Personal License Holders (NCPLH), National Certificate for Designated Premises Supervisors (NCDPS), National Licensees Certificate - Drugs Awareness (NCLDA), Professional Barpersons Qualification (PBQ) as well as the Award in Conflict Management (ACM). We can also help you with consultancy projects that can examine your business and help you become more profitable. We examine those systems in place that require change and strengthen those that may have slipped. Many managers end up being so close to their businesses that they simply can’t see the problems staring them in the face, we can all identify with that situation; but the brave ones ask for help to see them and realise the rewards.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk