Thailand: Thai Asia Pacific Breweries against imposing ban on alcohol sale within 300 m of university and college campuses

Thai Asia Pacific Breweries (TAP), the brewer of Heineken, Tiger and Cheers beers, lashed out at the proposal to impose the ban on alcohol sale within 300 metres of university and college campuses, Thai Visa News reported on June 23.

“TAP believes that this proposal is both ill-conceived and unnecessary,” it said in a statement.

It said that the proposal was ill-conceived because it assumes that underage drinking can be addressed by moving the point of sale when underage individuals will simply find another place to purchase alcohol.

It added that the new law was unnecessary because there are already appropriate laws in place that prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages to individuals under the age of 20.

“It is not a question of needing new laws, but rather enforcing the laws that are already in place,” it said.

It continued that the move will negatively impact consumers who have the right to purchase alcohol, merchants who have the right to sell alcohol, and the government who will have to task valuable resources enforcing an unnecessary law.

It added that the authorities should strictly enforce existing laws at retail outlets and entertainment venues that violate the law. It also urged the authorities to consider increasing the penalties for any drinker under the age of 20, and those who procure or sell any alcoholic beverages to them.

“The effective enforcement of this one law will do more than anything else to curb the issue of underage drinking and will not negatively impact any other stakeholders,” it concluded.

24 June, 2015