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Ready, Steady, Drink!
Late licences to fuel £500m alcohol boom
LATE-NIGHT drinking laws which come into effect this week, are predicted to fuel an estimated £500m
increase in sales of beer, wine and spirits, undermining government promises to end Britain’s binge
culture.
A report by Goldman Sachs, the investment bank, on one of the major pub chains claims sales in each pub
could increase by 10% in the coming year.
A similar increase in trade for other chains will help push UK consumption of alcohol to its highest level
ever. Britons already drink 11 litres of pure alcohol a head each year, the equivalent of 28 bottles of vodka.
The report, circulated to potential investors, is an embarrassment for the government, which insisted
that the new drinking laws — due to come into force on Thursday — would bring a cafe-style culture to
Britain and a more leisurely consumption of drinks. Instead, the report predicts a "boom" for the
industry with the introduction of late-night drinking.
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