Late-night pub openings aren’t in the right spirit | Pubs
The government’s plan to extend license opening hours appears to be a rather desperate measure to encourage growth (pubs will stay open until the early hours to boost growth in the UK, October 8). Will there be enough customers for pubs to support the extra staff and running costs of opening later?
Many pubs already close early on some evenings and may not open on others. If the government really wants to give licensed establishments a boost, they should find a way to reduce the price of the drinks they sell, but that would be unpalatable when they are looking for ways to increase taxes.
Pubs and clubs should be an accessible resource for communities, where friends and families can come together. When pubs were thriving – many years ago – the price of a drink in a pub was much closer to that paid in a supermarket. Until this gap narrows, there is unlikely to be any hope of slowing the alarming rate of pub closures.
Clive Turner
Tye barking, Suffolk
I wonder how encouraging alcohol consumption fits with NHS plans to reduce the health harm caused by alcohol and the Government’s commitment to preventing the incidence of mental health problems which prevent people from working. Alcohol abuse is clearly associated with a range of mental health problems, including depression and anxiety, and is a significant cause of death.
In 2023, we recorded the highest number of alcohol-related deaths in the UK (10,473). The cost to society of alcohol-related harm, including the NHS, social services and criminal justice system, is estimated at £27.4 billion each year. It is difficult to understand why the government would consider these enormous human and budgetary costs. But the power of the suppliers of the commercial determinants of ill health, particularly the beverage industry, should not be underestimated.
Alan Walker
Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, University of Sheffield
Longer pub openings must mean the Chancellor has decided the solution to economic hardship is to drown our sorrows in drink. Presumably our drunken brains won’t notice the introduction of ID cards and restrictions on free speech either.
John Hall
Bristol
