'Smaller pints? We'll just drink MORE': MailOnline finds out what customers REALLY think of plans to... (original) (raw)

It has been a mainstay of British culture for hundreds of years in countless pubs across the country.

But the precious pint has come under threat as scientists are now urging boozers to downsize their glasses amid a battle to reduce the country's alcohol intake.

They claim there has been an increase in the number of alcohol related deaths in the last five years and believe slashing the size of our beloved beverages.

Hospitality chiefs fear such changes could have a devastating effect on the industry, which comes on top of recent government plans to ban smoking in beer gardens.

MailOnline travelled from one end of the country to the other - chatting to commuters and City workers in the capital and punters at a pub in Newcastle - to take the nation's temperature on the controversial proposals.

The precious pint has come under threat as scientists are now urging boozers to downsize their glasses amid a battle to reduce the country's alcohol intake (stock image)

Researchers found that by swapping out the 568ml imperial pint for a smaller 379ml two-third pint serving, pub-goers drank 10 per cent less beer than they otherwise would have. Although, slightly more wine was sold than before

John Gibson, 69, said: 'I will drink more to catch up with that they are making money whichever way they look at it'

One drinker, proudly clutching a pint of Fosters in the North East, gave a forthright assessment of the plans.

John Gibson, 69, said: 'I will drink more to catch up with that they are making money whichever way they look at it.

'Each person knows their limit. When I have had about six or seven of them I go home.

'It's my life. The government didn't bring me into the world my mother did.

'Somebody said such a thing as free speech, they'll probably stop that next.'

Fellow pub-goer Dan Rogers, 21, also voiced scepticism, saying any changes would need to be reflected in price.

He said: 'People are just going to drink more. They are probably going to drink more.

'It will just kill our pub culture more if anything. It will make people want to drink at home and then go somewhere out instead of wanting to be in a pub.'

Neil McWilliams, 45, added: 'Well I think it would be cheaper going out and buying yourself four cans because your cans are 500ml but when you get a pint can they are 600ml, 800ml or something.

'So you're getting your measures dropped and you're paying more for it. You know what I mean?'

'A pint is just right for me. But I drink a lot.

'It's not going to make people healthier because they are just going to drink more to make up for it.'

Janice Harrison, 64, said: 'I think it's terrible. I don't think it'll make people drink less because at the end of the day every bar is closing down and they are not looking after our people.

'It won't make people healthier because people will go to the shop and buy cans because they are cheaper in the shops than what they are in the pubs.

'And then they are going to stop the smoking outside as well.

'So at the end of the day where are we going to smoke? In the house or in the middle of the road. Ridiculous.

'There's only a few pubs opening now because we have been stopped smoking in the pubs and then they are going to stop with smoking outside the pubs. so who is going to come out.

Neil McWilliams, 45, added: 'It's not going to make people healthier because they are just going to drink more to make up for it'

Janice Harrison, 64, said: 'I think it's terrible. I don't think it'll make people drink less because at the end of the day every bar is closing down and they are not looking after our people'

Jack Roberts, 29, said he thinks the plan will see people spending less money on booze and said it would mean pints don't go warm

Charlene Coil, 20, compared the downsizing of the pint to the dwindling size of a 99 flake ice cream

'It's just going to become an empty town like Sunderland. It's empty there and this town is going to be the same.'

But in London's Borough Market, some drinkers were more positive about the proposed changes.

Jack Roberts, 29, said: 'Pints aren't going to get warm in the final third, so that's a good thing. I generally don't see a problem with it, hopefully, we'll all spend a little less money on booze. I think two thirds is a better amount than a whole pint is.

'Will it result in people drinking less? I don't know. I think most people drink gauged on how drunk they are, rather than how many pints they drink.'

Jason, 52, added: 'I like pints the size that they are, but it's not necessarily a negative thing. You can get a half-pint now. So, if people wanted to choose a smaller size they could.

'I suppose it would be cheaper, but, I think most people if they're coming for a pint or a half pint, then they can probably afford it.

'So I don't think that's going to be influencing many people except for maybe people who are younger.'

Ryan Potts, 27, added: 'I wouldn't mind, because I'm not an absolute big drinker, but if it's the same price then obviously it would be a problem for everyone, because you're paying a certain price for a certain amount, but then you're getting way less.

'But, it doesn't really bother me, but for Londoners in general I think it will bother people.

'It's obviously health beneficial, because you're drinking less beer, but realistically I don't think it would [make people drink less].'

Michael Magdongun, 38, raised the point 'is the price going to go down two thirds?'.

Answering the question he said: 'Absolutely [the price should be reduced], we're paying for value, right? So I think the value should equate to the cost that we pay.

'So if it goes down by two thirds, then sure. However, that's going to lead to more people just going back over to the pub to get more beer, right?'

Jason, 52, said: 'I like pints the size that they are, but it's not necessarily a negative thing. You can get a half-pint now. So, if people wanted to choose a smaller size they could'

Ryan Potts, 27, said: 'It doesn't really bother me, but for Londoners in general I think it will bother people'

Michael Magdongun, 38, asked the question 'is the price going to go down two thirds?'

Brits drink beer through one of the largest standard serving sizes in the world, with the imperial pint almost a third bigger than its American cousin.

At 568ml, the trusty pint also outweighs the standard serving size in Belgium (250ml), France (330ml) and even Germany (500ml).

Charlene Coil, 20, compared the downsizing of the pint to the dwindling size of a 99 flake ice cream.

She said: 'A pint is £2.50 now. What's it gonna be? An almost pint. That's what they are going to call it.

'I like having a pint with my friends, that's the whole fun of it. But I will, I'll take my own pint glass!'

But the latest NHS figures show that 23 per cent of women aged 55-64 drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week — the amount known to dramatically increase cancer risk, and chances of developing dependency.

Data gathered by the World Health Organization and compiled by Oxford University-backed platform Our World in Data, found that the UK's beer consumption has been steadily falling since the 1980s. Researchers think further reductions could help ease the health impacts of alcohol consumption

Lead researcher Professor Theresa Marteau, director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit, told MailOnline: 'Alcohol harms health, increasing the risk of over 200 different diseases and injuries including bowel, breast and liver cancers.

'In England it is the fifth largest contributor to early death, disease and disability, and the leading risk factor for those aged 15 to 49.'

The study, which took place over four weeks, saw a dozen UK pubs and bars selling their beers in two thirds of a pint. The price punters paid was proportionate to the reduced size.

But - as less than one per cent of approached pubs agreed to take part in the experiment - Professor Dame Marteau added that the measures 'would need to be part of licensing regulation' to make sure people complied.

Since increasing the price of drinks or placing restrictions on beer sales would prove extremely unpopular, concerned scientists are keen to find other ways of slowing drinkers down.

The idea of the scheme is that, since people tend to have a set number of drinks rather than a specific volume of beer, making those drinks smaller should encourage people to drink less.