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Pubs turning away over half a million legitimate customers
22 November 2010
Embargoed until Monday 22nd November
Research released by PASS, the UK’s national proof of age scheme, shows that Britain’s pubs are turning away people over legal drinking age in confusion over what are acceptable forms of proof of age.
PASS card director Kate Winstanley says “A survey by the PASS accredited card issuing company, Citizen Card, showed that 47% of their card holders have had their card refused. PASS data shows that 97% of these refusals occur in the on trade. With 1.5 million PASS cards in circulation, this data suggests that well over half a million legitimate customers with PASS cards have been turned away from UK pubs, clubs and bars”.
“There are 1.6 million people aged 18 and 19 in the UK* and a third of these have neither a driving license nor passport - that is over half a million people. It makes enormous business sense for pubs to ensure that these young adults can rely on the robust proof of age that PASS hologramed cards represent, so as not to lose out on their custom.”
BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds said “As the most sociable place to enjoy a drink, pubs should be giving every legitimate customer the warmest possible welcome – not turning them away.
All pubs should ensure that their door staff know that PASS cards are recommended as Proof of Age by both the Home Office and Association of Police Officers (ACPO)** – and should treat them just the same as passports and driving licences.”
*ONS 2007 ONS data projected to 2010.
** See Notes to editors for full quotations.
Ends
For further information
Kate Winstanley
katewinstanley@live.co.uk
07590 924710
Notes to Editors:
PASS (Proof of Age Standards Scheme) is a national scheme that accredits proof of age cards. Twenty one different organisations currently issue PASS cards – five national schemes and sixteen local authority schemes. All have to comply with stringent card issuing standards that are audited every two years by Trading Standards.
Every PASS card carries a photograph of the holder with a distinctive hologram which gives retailers and law enforcers confidence that a card is genuine. PASS cards provide an important tool for retailers to ensure that they do not sell age restricted products to people below the designated age for a given category of product. Age restricted products include alcohol, fireworks, lottery tickets, knives, petrol, spray paints and tobacco.
“The Government wholeheartedly supports the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS), and would encourage all retailers to accept it as proof of age. Young people are rightly concerned about taking their passport with them on a night out, due to the risk of theft or loss, and they require a reliable document in order to prove their entitlement to purchase age-restricted goods. I am keen to reassure retailers that accepting a PASS hologram card which carries the bearers image and acceptable date of birth is due diligence, and can be accepted with confidence.”
Home Office Minister - James Brokenshire, MP
September 2010
“The Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) has ACPO’s full support as a vital tool in helping to reduce underage drinking and the associated harms to individuals and society. PASS gives young people a convenient means of proving their age and offers retailers a reliable means of ensuring that they are exercising due diligence at the point of sale. ACPO advises against the practice of carrying valuable ID such as passports for alcohol related purchases; if lost or stolen such documents can be of use to criminals as well as causing inconvenience and expense to those who have to replace them.”
Jon Stoddart, Chief Constable of Durham and ACPO lead on licensing
October 2010
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Young people can get hold of PASS accredited cards from a number of the card issuers.All cards that are PASS accredited carry the distinctive PASS logo in a hologram.
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