Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group – the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator said:
“The UK has world leading standards in ensuring that there are schemes for responsible marketing and sales of alcohol, including the Portman Group Code of Conduct, Challenge25 and Community Alcohol Partnerships. These have worked well and for over a decade the sector has played its role in helping to secure significant falls across many alcohol harms, including youth drinking, binge drinking and alcohol related violence.
“We recognise the struggle for those who are in recovery and know that harmful alcohol consumption is a serious issue which we do not downplay.
“However, we believe that further restrictions on alcohol sales, such as separate queues or cordoning off alcohol entirely, are disproportionate and would unfairly target moderate consumers and businesses.”