The Home Office is seeking evidence on 'alcohol-related disruptive behaviour at our airports and the impact airside alcohol licensing could have on reducing this problem'. Consultation document here [pdf].
The aim of the consultation is to allow the government to assess:
- the true scale of the problem of drunk and disruptive passengers at international airports in England and Wales
- the extent to which airports and airlines use effectively the existing statutory powers and other measures to address the problem
- the impact of these interventions as well as the proposed application of the Act
The consultation follows the Lords 2016 licensing review which called on the government to revoke the exemptions from the Act that apply to 24 international airports in England and Wales, though the government had rejected many of the report's calls including for a fundamental overhaul of the act. Sales of alcohol at international airports in Northern Ireland and Scotland are not included in the consultation as they are regulated under separate legislation. The consultation closes at
Airports: time to act?
Earlier this year the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) and the European Alcohol Policy Alliance released a report calling for the government to extend licensing laws so that bars and shops in airports are covered by the same laws as those in the high street. The report said three out of five British adults who travel by air (60%) have encountered drunk passengers whilst on a flight, with broad public support for further controls on alcohol sales at UK airports and flights. It says although there are existing legal and voluntary measures in place to address the problem of drunk and disruptive passengers, these are not sufficiently curbing alcohol-related incidents which are reportedly on the rise.
In response to the consultation, Jennifer Keen, Head of Policy at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said:
‘Drunk and disruptive passengers, though a small minority, can have a major impact on their fellow passengers and cabin crew. They have led to instances of flights being diverted and of cabin crew being kicked, punched and headbutted.
‘We are pleased that the Government has launched a call for evidence on this issue as it’s important to protect ordinary passengers from people who get drunk and aggressive in the air.’
A government-backed campaign to prevent inebriated passengers from boarding airplanes was recently rolled out at ten airports including Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, East Midlands, Manchester, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Southampton, Bristol and Newcastle. The One Too Many initiative displays warnings about alcohol consumption on digital display screens and leaflets, though alcohol researchers may be quick to caution the lack of evidence to support awareness campaigns in changing behaviour.
The Government is currently developing a new national strategy for England, likely to be released after the close of the consultation and therefore may be used to announce any subsequent decisions. Last month a new Alcohol Charter called for the forthcoming national strategy to reflect the PHE evidence review on effective policy and interventions for reducing alcohol-related harm.
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