BREWER FIGHTS TOUGHER DRIVING LAWS

THE brewing conglomerate Scottish & Newcastle was attacked yesterday for
challenging government plans to toughen drink-driving laws.

Directors of the company have written to 8,000 pubs, clubs and bars asking
them to join an appeal against the proposal to lower the legal driving
limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg - a figure approved
by British Euro- MPs.

The company claims that the move could herald the death of some pubs and is
urging its customers to lobby their local MPs with concerns about the
effects on the industry.

The move comes after the Government announced in the green paper Combating
Drink Driving that it was considering reducing the legal limit to cut road
deaths and injuries.

Last night, the Campaign Against Drinking and Driving attacked the brewer's
campaign as a disgrace. The CADD secretary, Maria Cape, said: "They are
putting profits before lives."

Isobel Brydie, of the Scottish Campaign Against Irresponsible Drivers,
said: "No amount of money could ever compensate the families I have known
over the last 12 years for the loss of a life. Certainly the profit motive
is very disappointing if that is what is going to come into the debate. How
do you compare profit with loss of life?"

The Edinburgh-based Scottish & Newcastle - the parent company for brewers
including Courage, John Smith and William Younger - made its views clear in
mailshots sent to landlords.

One sent by a Courage business director said: "I am writing to you to ask
for your help in a matter that threatens both our businesses, namely the
Government's proposal to reduce the drink-drive limit.

"Under these plans drinking anything over a pint puts your customers at
risk of prosecution by turning a fair law into an unreasonable one.

"Like many, Courage has been an active supporter of the current law and
condemns those who drive while they are drunk. However, there are powerful
arguments against a change in the law and you can be sure that we will be
working hard to bring these matters to the attention of government
ministers and other opinion formers."

Scottish & Newcastle yesterday defended the letter and said that it had
been approved and sent by the company to all its customers around the
country. Spokesman Nigel Pollard said: "We feel the current limit is a
sensible one and the message is getting home to people about the dangers of
drink driving.

"There are a lot of people who act within the law and are being
responsible. They might have a quick drink after work before going home,
and stay well within the limit.

"This new law will put a lot of people off going to the pub and the reality
is that many pubs, which are already struggling for survival anyway, will
go out of business.

"We are certainly not putting business before road safety."

A further press release from S&N added: "The majority of drink-drive
accidents involve drivers who are at least double the current limit.

"Scottish & Newcastle believes that the Government should focus its
attention on these hard core drink offenders, as well as speeding
motorists, who cause far more deaths and are punished much less harshly."

There are, on average 540 deaths attributed to drink-driving in the UK each
year, compared to 1,500 recorded annually in the late 1970s.

The release continued: "This reduction has been achieved through a
combination of highly visible public awareness programmes, partly supported
by the drinks industry-sponsored Portman Group; the more rigorous
enforcement of the 80mg legislation and the application of the toughest
penalties on conviction anywhere in the world."

Scots publicans themselves could see both sides of the coin. John Taylor,
landlord of The Unicorn Roadhouse, Newmills Road, Dalkeith, said: "We get
people coming for a couple of pints and then going away again because they
have the car. Reducing this to one pint is cutting the amount they can
drink in half, they might not think this is worth it.

"But as far as the safety side of it goes, it would probably make a
difference."

George MacDonald, of The Golfer's Rest, North Berwick, said: "It will hit a
lot of people going to the country pubs who need to drive to get there.
Here, locals just walk."

Neil Greig, roads and environment officer with the Automobile Association,
said the organisation had surveyed its members and 80 per cent were in
favour of reducing the limit. He said: "Ultimately we advise people not to
drink and drive."