Almost as many people said they had attempted to go teetotal at the start of this year as in any of the previous 10 years

It is set to be the driest January in living memory. Drinks sales in pubs and bars have plunged. Rising numbers of people are drinking low or no-alcohol. And new data indicates that even older people are joining teens and twentysomethings by giving up booze. With three days to go, this has been a grim month for publicans.

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) says pubs must adapt quickly by stocking more “lo-no” options and opening their doors more regularly to give community groups a cosy welcome on winter days.

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Market researcher CGA tracks drinks sales in pubs and bars every week and in the last fortnight sales have been down by at least 7% compared with last year, with a 19% fall in sales of spirits last week.

The bad weather and the economic climate are partly to blame, but the company’s managing director Jonathan Jones said Dry January was also “making this a hard month for pubs and bars”.

  • WandererEnglish
    7·
    5 months ago

    I actually think the loss of pubs is a fucking travesty (pubs and working men’s clubs). These places have always functioned as third places, places of community. I mean it’s called a public house, it should be homely but for everyone.

    Just go abroad and pubs fucking suck because they aren’t pubs they are bars.

    I just want to be able to walk in the front door, get a drink, strike up a convo with someone already there. Maybe play some darts or pool. Just chill out. Fuck I’ve been to the pub just to read a book before or watch TV. I would pay membership to be part of a club like that, but they simply don’t exist anymore.

    The real issue is house prices have eroded discretionary income, which is a whole other topic on it’s own, work has gotten more so people have less time and are more tired, and it’s just not legal in certain cases to have what once was.

    I really think drinking in a pub is better than drinking at home and a way to fix this is to reduce taxes on pub alcohol so the price is comparable to a supermarket. When I was a teen/ student the aim of the game was to drink as much as humanly possible to not have to get an overpriced drink while out. That’s not healthy. Much better to be out and pace yourself. Now I only really go out if I’m going to get drunk because its not worth it to go for a couple and go home.