Portman Group

Portman Group

Formation	1989
Purpose	Advocacy of responsible drinking and research into UK alcohol consumption
Location	Conduit Street, London, UK
Region served	UK
Membership	9 alcoholic beverage companies
Chief Executive	Henry Ashworth
Affiliations	Drinkaware Trust
Website	Portman Group

The Portman Group is a trade group composed of alcoholic beverage producers and brewers in the UK.

History

It was set up in 1989 as part of a campaign to raise awareness of alcohol-related issues, and its members account for the majority of alcohol products sold in the UK. It takes its name from the Portman Square, London, head office of Guinness, one of its co-founders.

Drinkaware Trust

The Portman Group established the Drinkaware website in 2004 and went on to establish the Drinkaware Trust in 2006. The Drinkaware Trust is now an independent trust which runs all alcohol education campaigns, that had been previously the responsibility of the Portman Group.

Aims

There are four stated main aims of group:

• Promote responsible drinking (and thus lessen binge drinking)
• Help prevent misuse of alcohol
• Encourage alcohol marketing and advertising
• Put forward the industry angle on the understanding of alcohol-related issues.

Code of Practice on the Responsible Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks

The Portman Group operates a Code of Practice on the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks which was first introduced in 1996. The code, which is supported throughout the industry, seeks to ensure that drinks are marketed in a socially responsible way and to an adult audience only.

The code applies to all pre-packaged alcoholic drinks and covers the drink's naming, packaging, point-of-sale advertising, brand websites, sponsorship, branded merchandise, advertorials, press releases and sampling.

The code has an open and accessible complaints system. Complaints under the Code are ruled on by an independent complaints panel.

Members

Full members

• Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands
• Beverage Brands (UK) Ltd
• Carlsberg UK
• Diageo Great Britain
• Heineken UK
• InBev UK Ltd
• C&C Group plc
• Molson Coors Brewing Company UK Ltd
• Pernod Ricard UK

See also

• British Beer and Pub Association
• Wine and Spirit Trade Association
• Institute of Alcohol Studies
• Alcohol Health Alliance UK
• Alcohol Concern
• Challenge 21

Campaigns

There have been several full campaigns run by the group. These include:

• "I'll be Des" (designated drivers)
• "If you do do drink, don't do drunk" and Drinkaware.co.uk (excessive drinking, particularly in the under 24s)
• Proof of Age Card (aka Prove It) (a PASS-accredited identity card, discontinued in 2007)

These campaigns have been strongly criticsed by, amongst others, Professor Ian Gilmore of Royal College of Physicians and Professor Martin Plant of the University of the West of England, both noted alcohol harm experts, as not only ineffective but even favourable to the alcohol industry.

External links

• Official site
• Drink Aware trust charity site

Video clips

• Drinkaware Trust YouTube channel
• Night Out 2006 advert

Audio clips

• Woman's Hour September 2005

News items

• BrewDog responds to a judgment by the Portman Group in April 2014
• Scottish plan to increase cost of alcohol in March 2009
• Teenage drinkers in November 2007
• Legal age of drinking in August 2007
• Alcohol product labels no longer on football shirts in June 2007
• Night Out advert in April 2006
• Under-age drinking in September 2004
• Women's drinking poster in May 2005
• Violence and alcohol in September 2000
• Charging for proof-of-age card in January 2000
• Alcopops in October 1998