The novelty of selling draught beer in 7-Eleven stores hasn’t lasted long.
CP All has agreed to temporarily cease selling of draught beer at its 7- Eleven convenient stores after strong opposition by anti-alcoholic networks.
Representatives of the two networks, the Youth Network of New Face Drinker Prevention, and the Stop Drink Network, met executives of CP All, which owns and operates all 7-Eleven convenience stores in the country, on Friday and submitted to them a protesting note.
In a negotiation, the company agreed to temporarily halt the selling of draught beer, pending consultation with its top management, and it’s executive board.
According to a network coordinator Kamron Chudecha, they wanted the company to scrap the selling at convenience stores as this will enable easy access by youths to alcohol, and encourage alcoholic drinks.
He noted that the convenience store staff did not screen the customers as some are underaged
From the survey of the networks, draught beer was sold at 10 convenience stores in Bangkok and surrounding provinces since early this month on an experimental basis.
He said the survey showed that customers were required to pay first before getting the beer from cashiers.
Cashiers will then push the dispenser and hand the cup of beer to customers, he said.
He said although such practice does not break the law, it is inappropriate because the customers ages are not checked.
The survey even found they sold to people who were already drunk.
He also said the networks wanted the Public Health Ministry to redefine the use of automatic dispensers in selling beer as they saw that draught beer should not be allowed to be sold in convenience stores as it is not ordinary goods, and needed control.
They should be sold only in shops that have seats for customers to drink, he said.
There were always going to be problems with this , particularly when the majority of cashiers are so young. However, alcohol continues to be sold and presumably identities and ages are being checked.
Probably not ! Perhaps a counter specifically for alcohol and cigarettes manned by a senior cashier is the answer.
(Source:-Thai PBS)