The Portman Group is a

trade group A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific Industry (economics), industry. An industry tra ...

composed of

alcoholic beverage An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The c ...

producers and brewers in the UK.

History

It was set up in 1989 as part of a campaign to raise awareness on

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

-related issues, and its members account for the majority of alcohol products sold in the UK. It takes its name from the

Portman Square Portman Square is a garden square in Marylebone, central London, surrounded by elegant townhouses. It was specifically for private housing let on long leases having a ground rent by the Portman Estate, which owns the private communal gardens. ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, head office of

Guinness Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ove ...

, 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 Binge drinking, or heavy episodic drinking, is drinking alcoholic beverages with an intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time, but definitions ( see below) vary considerably. Binge drinking ...

) * Help prevent

misuse of alcohol Alcohol abuse encompasses a spectrum of unhealthy alcohol (drug), alcohol drinking behaviors, ranging from binge drinking to alcohol dependence, in extreme cases resulting in health problems for individuals and large scale social problems such ...

* 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 include: *

Asahi Breweries is a Japanese global beer, spirits, soft drinks and food business group headquartered in Sumida, Tokyo. In 2019, the group had revenue of JPY 2.1 trillion. Asahi's business portfolio can be segmented as follows: alcoholic beverage business (4 ...

Aston Manor Cider Aston Manor Cider (also Aston Manor and formerly Aston Manor Brewery) is a former brewery and current cider maker and bottling company in Aston, Birmingham, England. Having started out as a beer brewery, the company now produces exclusively cide ...

Bacardi Bacardi Limited (; ) is one of the largest privately held, family-owned spirits companies in the world. Originally known for its Bacardi brand of white rum, it now has a portfolio of more than 200 brands and labels. Founded in Cuba in 1862 an ...

* Brown-Forman *

Budweiser Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, part of AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States. ''Budweiser'' may also refer to an unrelat ...

C&C Group C&C Group plc (known prior to its flotation as Cantrell & Cochrane Limited) is an Irish manufacturer, marketer and distributor of alcoholic drinks, particularly cider, and soft drinks. It has production facilities across Ireland, Great Britain ...

Campari Group Davide Campari-Milano N.V., trading as Campari Group, is an Italian company active since 1860 in the branded beverage industry. It produces spirits, wines, and non-alcoholic apéritifs. From its signature product, Campari, its portfolio has been ...

Diageo Diageo plc () is a Multinational corporation, multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world. It was the world's largest distiller before being overtaken by Kweich ...

Heineken Heineken Lager Beer ( nl, Heineken Pilsener), or simply Heineken () is a pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken N.V. Heineken beer is sold in a green bottle with a red star. History On 15 Febr ...

Jägermeister ( , ; stylized Jägermeiſter) is a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices. Developed in 1934 by Wilhelm and Curt Mast, it has an alcohol by volume of 35% ( 61 degrees proof, or US 70 proof). The recipe has not changed since its creation ...

Mark Anthony Brands International Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fi ...

Molson Coors The Molson Coors Beverage Company is an American-Canadian multinational drink and brewing company incorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law and headquartered in Golden, Colorado and Montreal, Quebec. Molson Coors was formed in 2005 ...

SHS Drinks SHS may stand for: Organisations * School-Home Support, a British children's charity *Scottish History Society * Shiv Sena, an Indian political party *Socialist History Society * Society for Health Systems *Strangers Helping Strangers * Swiss Heri ...

Pernod Ricard Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod'' or ''Ricard''). The world’s second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also produ ...

Thatchers Cider Thatchers Cider is a family-owned cider maker in Sandford, North Somerset, England. History The Thatchers company was founded by William Thatcher in 1904. His son Stanley Thatcher, born in 1910, began selling draught cider to pubs in Somerse ...

Campaigns

There have been several full campaigns run by the group. These include: * "I'll be Des" (

designated driver The terms "designated driver" and "designated driving" (commonly known as DD) refer to the selection of a person who remains sober as the responsible driver of a vehicle whilst others have been allowed to drink alcoholic beverages. Thus as a pract ...

s) * "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 Pass, PASS, The Pass or Passed may refer to: Places *Pass, County Meath, a townland in Ireland * Pass, Poland, a village in Poland *Pass, an alternate term for a number of straits: see List of straits *Mountain pass, a lower place in a mountai ...

-accredited

identity card An identity document (also called ID or colloquially as papers) is any documentation, document that may be used to prove a person's identity. If issued in a small, standard credit card size form, it is usually called an identity card (IC, ID c ...

, discontinued in 2007) These campaigns have been strongly criticised by, amongst others, Professor

Ian Gilmore Sir Ian Thomas Gilmore Deputy Lieutenant, DL Royal College of Physicians, PRCP (born 1947) is a professor of hepatology and previous president of the Royal College of Physicians of London (PRCP). He was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newc ...

Royal College of Physicians The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...

and Professor Martin Plant of the

University of the West of England The University of the West of England (also known as UWE Bristol) is a public research university, located in and around Bristol, England. The institution was know as the Bristol Polytechnic in 1970; it received university status in 1992 and ...

, both noted alcohol harm experts, as not only ineffective but even favourable to the alcohol industry.

Public Health England Public Health England (PHE) was an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care in England which began operating on 1 April 2013 to protect and improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. Its formation came as a ...

was attacked by

Martin McKee Clifford Martin McKee, CBE (born 12 July 1956), is professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Biography He was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and trained as a doctor at ...

and others for giving unwarranted credibility to the drinks industry by involving Drinkaware in their Drink Free Days campaign in 2018. Professor

resigned from his position with the agency when they refused to break the connection.

References

External links

Official site

Drink Aware trust

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

site {{Authority control Researchers in alcohol abuse Organizations established in 1989 Trade associations based in the United Kingdom Beer in the United Kingdom Pubs in the United Kingdom Alcohol industry trade associations Alcohol in the United Kingdom