Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group – the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator said:
“We were pleased to see that alcohol-related ambulance callouts fell by nearly a quarter overall, but it is unfortunate that they continued to make up 16% of incidents. We echo the Scottish ambulance service in encouraging the public to drink moderately, to look after themselves and others around them, and not put additional pressure on emergency services at this very challenging time.
“For over a decade there have been significant falls in alcohol harms such as violent crime, anti-social behaviours, binge drinking and underage drinking. Against this background it would be disproportionate to enact further marketing restrictions on alcohol, such as ‘alcohol curtains’, which only unfairly target responsible consumers and businesses, rather than address the real issue of harmful alcohol consumption by a minority and provide the necessary support to those who need it.”