Landlords are being urged to stock up on smaller wine glasses to help customers drink more responsibly.
The Scottish Government Alcohol Industry Partnership launched the so-called “125ml campaign” yesterday to try to make people think twice about their intake.
The voluntary scheme is supported by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association and Scottish Beer and Pub Association, but Colin Cameron, director of the Aberdeen City and Shire Licensed Trade Association, branded it a “hare-brained idea”.
He claimed SNP ministers had only brought it forward because they had failed to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol.
Mr Cameron, who runs three pubs in Aberdeen, said a 125ml glass of wine looked “miserable” and customers, who may think they were being ripped off, would just buy another.
He claimed casual wine drinkers tended to be a “slightly more educated breed” and should not be compared to hardened drinkers who favoured cheaper lagers, ciders and spirits.
Explaining the rationale behind the scheme, Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said: “All too often we see only medium and large-size measures of wine available behind the bar, and this can mean people end up drinking more than they realise.
“A large glass of wine can contain over three units of alcohol, which is in excess of a woman’s daily recommended intake and equivalent to a man’s recommended daily intake.
“Clearly it is important that people have the ability to choose a smaller measure if they wish and, by offering the 125ml measure, businesses are giving their customers the opportunity to drink responsibly.”
Mr Cameron said he thought most publicans would ignore the scheme.
“This is another hare-brained scheme to cover over the government’s failure with minimum pricing,” he said. “A medium glass tends to be 175ml and a large glass 250ml so 125ml is a miserable-looking drink and almost looks like you are trying to cheat customers out of money.
“The thinking behind this is not right and I do not think it will be accepted by customers – it is them who will dictate what they want, not the publican, and all they will do is buy another.”
Ramsay McGhee, the Highlands and islands representative of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said responsible establishments already offer to sell wine in 125ml glasses.
“This is not a new concept and just another ploy of the government to reduce the amount folk drink but they will just have two small glasses of wine,” he added.
“I can’t see it making any significant difference whatsoever.”
Mr McGhee said the government should be focusing on taking action against the off-sales sector because people drink far more at home than they do in pubs and restaurants.
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