The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has said in its submission to the consultation on alcohol that current laws ought to be enforced with greater aplomb.
Coming after the Association of Convenience Stores rejected a code of practice, it highlighted a number of examples of perceived leniency in a bid to show how existing legislation is not being called upon.
These included the fact that 18 underage people were taken to court in 2006 for attempting to purchase drink.
Chief executive at the WSTA Jeremy Beadles claimed that “tough talk” is meaningless unless it is attached to solid actions.
“We do not need more legislation, we need to continue our partnership with Government to create stricter enforcement of our current laws,” he commented.
Additionally, the association said that nobody has been fined more than £250 for refusing to stop drinking since 2004.
Instead of a code of practice, which it also rejected, the WSTA said that self-regulation may well be the answer.
