Nightclubs chain in 80p booze row

Aug 3 2008 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

A NIGHTCLUB chain which has slashed the price of its drinks to 80p has been condemned as “irresponsible” by health campaigners.

Pub and club giant Luminar Leisure has announced plans to sell booze at super-low prices to combat the credit crunch and competition from supermarkets.

Luminar’s Liquid and Diva nightclub in Sunderland is among several around the country introducing Thursday night promotions when all drinks cost just 80p all night, in addition to its Friday night when drinks are £1.50.

The club in Sunderland and its Liquid and Envy counterpart in Newcastle are also trying to tempt in revellers fresh out of school by hosting A Level results parties, called Panic and Skint High, with the Wearside venue charging just £1.20 for drinks.

Health campaigners say Luminar is encouraging a binge drinking culture among young people.

Barbara Gubbins, chief executive of the North’s leading health charity The Children’s Foundation, said: “I am very disappointed to learn that Luminar are using these tactics to target young and susceptible people to encourage them to drink more.

“As a magistrate, I have noticed a major increase over the years in drink-related crime including domestic and other types of violence, drink drive offences and the number of young alcoholics that are coming through the court system.

“This kind of marketing is very irresponsible and has such a negative bearing on all the positive work being done by other agencies trying to stem the increase in underage and excessive drinking that is particularly prevalent in this region.”

Suzie Hayman, a trustee for the ParentlinePlus helpline for families and children, from Kendal, Cumbria, agreed.

She said: “The reality is kids will always do something risky and silly on special occasions and we can all remember our A Level parties when we drank too much.

“What worries me is that this is encouraging a binge culture among young people and soon it will be every Friday night they are drinking heavily.”

Stephen Thomas, chief executive of Luminar Leisure, said competition from supermarkets discounting their drinks had forced his hand: “We have a dilemma in trying to be responsible and trying to get people into our clubs.”

However, Bob Senior, managing director of Newcastle-based Utopian Leisure, said there was no need to make such drastic price cuts.

He said: “I never say never but I don’t think we will be following suit.

“Selling cheap drinks isn’t new . . . it’s been happening for years, but I don’t think it’s commercially sensible to sell 80p drinks. I find it totally irresponsible. It’s aimed at a particular clientele — young and daft — and it will work a treat. Someone who does that is abandoning his responsibility as a licensee.”

Last week it was a pub in Jesmond, Newcastle, that was labelled “absolutely monstrous” for selling strong beer at 10p a bottle.

The Spy Bar, in Osborne Road, Jesmond, was offering 500ml bottles of Mexican Potro beer, containing 4.7 per cent alcohol, at the knock-down price.

Top liver specialist Dr Christopher Record, who works at Newcastle’s Freeman and Royal Victoria Infirmary hospitals, said the offer was “completely irresponsible”.