Health officials are concerned that bartenders who pour drinks freehand more for entertainment than drinking purposes are not using the correct amount of spirits, which is usually 25ml and a double 50ml. When bartenders pour their drinks freehand, there is no measure of how much spirit might be added in the drink.
Martin Plant, professor of addiction studies at the University of the West of England, believes that such a practice might lead to overpouring of spirits in mixed drinks.
"If you can get people drunk more quickly, you can get them to stay at the bar for longer," he said, according to the Daily Mail.
The Portman Group, which speaks for the alcohol industry on responsible drinking, adds: "To serve a customer more alcohol that they have asked for is irresponsible and could even be dangerous in some circumstances."
Health officials advice that drinkers take proper precautions before consuming alcohol and are kept aware of the amount of spirits that are poured in their drinks.
