A DRINKS promotion evening that was advertised as “Twisted Tuesday” and another which involved “supersoaking” – squirting alcohol into the mouths of participants with a water pistol – have been censured for encouraging irresponsible drinking.
The two promotions were held at well-known Dublin city centre venues, The Purty Kitchen in Temple Bar and Citibar Venue on Dame Street.
Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society (Meas) said the promotions were in breach of its code of practice which seeks to discourage licenced premises from encouraging binge drinking. The code is voluntary.
The “supersoakers” night took place at The Purty Kitchen on November 28th last year. A promotional poster promised “mulled wine, Santa’s helpers with vodka supersoakers, €2 drinks, double vodka red bull €5.50”.
“Supersoakers” are water pistols in the shape of a machine gun that were filled with vodka and then squirted from the gun into the mouths of patrons.
The Meas panel concluded that this was a drinking game which, along with the other elements of the promotion, were likely to encourage excessive drinking.
The panel considered the use of the term “twisted” in the advertising for the promotion of the event by Trinity College Students’ Union at Citibar Venue on April 16th as encouraging illegal or irresponsible drinking.
The panel said the phrasing of the advertisement was an incitement to excessive drinking, although they noted that as soon as a complaint was lodged, every action was taken to pull all promotional material with “Twisted Tuesday” printed on it.
Both venues sought to argue that the drinks promotion events were run by outside agencies and that they were not responsible for them.
But the panel noted that Citibar Venue had made a similar claim in relation to a previous event that had been criticised by Meas. It said licencees must take responsibility for all drinks promotions that take place in their establishments, irrespective of who runs them.
Meas chief executive Fionnuala Sheehan said: “The licence holder is the party required to adhere to the Liquor Licensing Laws and retains that responsibility, irrespective of any arrangements involving third parties.”
A spokesman for the Purty Kitchen said it policed all drinks promotions events, and “militantly”, and there never had been any reports of trouble.
There was no one available to comment from Citibar Venue.
