Recovering alcoholic calls for supermarkets to keep booze away from queues
‘That one moment in a shopping queue can have such a major impact on people’s recovery or whether they relapse or not,’ says Matthew Penn
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Your support makes all the difference.A recovering alcohol has called on supermarkets and shops to keep alcohol away from the queues to pay to discourage last minute purchasing.
Matthew Penn, 41, who calls himself a recovering high-functioning alcoholic, said that the simple measure could help to reduce alcohol-related harm and encourage others to make healthier choices.
“That one moment in a shopping queue can have such a major impact on people’s recovery or whether they relapse or not, and it’s such a simple thing,” he told PA News Agency.
“Every single person I speak to on my page says one of their biggest problems is going into shops. It can be so easily avoided.
“It’s like a tug of war in your mind that’s going on all the time.”
Mr Penn explained that alcohol should be considered in the same vein as cigarettes.
“You’d think if you can cover up cigarettes then surely you could cover up alcohol. It shouldn’t be as encouraged as it is,” he said.
Mr Penn runs an online support group for recovering alcoholics and survivors of childhood trauma called The Matt Penn Initiative.
He has also has written a book about his recovery from alcoholism.
The call comes as research highlights how people may be inclined to buy more alcohol when it is positioned prominently in supermarkets.
Dr Alison Giles, chief executive of the Institute of Alcohol Studies, told PA: “Strategically-placed alcohol in supermarkets is designed to increase purchasing and consumption, which subsequently leads to an increase in harm.
“To support those in recovery and reduce the cost of alcohol harm to society, a simple first step for supermarkets would be to move alcohol away from checkouts.”
The British Retail Consortium commented: “Retailers take their responsibility to the health of their customers very seriously and follow stringent rules on the sale of alcohol.”
Additional reporting by PA
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