£100m campaign to target alcohol misuse in young

Published on Thursday 16 July 2009 22:02

A £100 million campaign has been launched to encourage young people to drink more responsibly.

The Campaign for Smarter Drinking will run for five years and see its slogan, "why let good times go bad?", feature on beermats, advertising hoardings and signs in pubs and off-licences.

Jonathan Neame, the chief executive of the Kent-based Shepherd-Neame brewery, is backing the campaign. He said: "For years people have asked what needs to be done to encourage a responsible drinking culture in Britain and reduce alcohol misuse among young adults.

"This initiative is part of the answer, and the drinks industry is in a unique position to deliver such a shift in our culture. In the end, we can only achieve change if people take responsibility for their own behaviour, and this campaign will help them to make informed choices."

Among the companies backing the campaign are brewers including Fuller's, Thwaites and Brains and the supermarkets chains Tesco, Spar and Asda.