SAFER BRITISH PINT GLASS WILL REDUCE VIOLENT ASSAULTS
A safer British pint glass is being developed by designers in a bid to crack the problem of glasses being used in violent assaults.
On behalf of the Design & Technology Alliance Against Crime, the Design Council has appointed a team of specialist designers to create a new kind of glass to reduce the number of injuries from the 87,000 violent incidents involving glassware each year, which costs an estimated £100 million in NHS, police and court costs annually.
The appointed designers, Design Bridge, will work on producing a range of safer drinking vessel prototypes, which will be unveiled in December this year. The challenge is to not only develop a safer pint glass, but to ensure they are attractive to industry, manufacturers and consumers. Working closely with manufacturers and the drinks trade, Design Bridge will look to develop more than one solution, which could be taken up by pubs and clubs.
The project is part of the Design Out Crime initiative from the Home Office’s Design & Technology Alliance Against Crime and the Design Council. The Alliance are a group of experts from the world of design, industry and law enforcement whose task is to bring about innovation and encourage others to ‘think crime’ in the first stages of product development.
Jeremy Myerson, Helen Hamlyn Professor of Design, Royal College of the Arts and Alliance member said: “Alcohol related crime takes up valuable police and NHS resources and causes unnecessary misery to thousands of people. The outcomes of the Design Out Crime project have the potential to not only reduce alcohol related violence in the UK but to also help make our communities safer places.”
Nick Verebelyi, 3D Branding & Packaging Director, Design Bridge said: “Our challenge is to build upon research the Design Council have established to develop creative solutions that increase safety by reducing the opportunity for the vessel to be used as a weapon. We also need to take into account operational challenges and provide opportunities for enhanced consumer appeal and brand image.”
Alan Campbell, Home Office Minister said: “Innovative design has played an important role in driving down overall crime by a third since 1997 tackling a range of crimes including theft, fraud and burglary with innovative and practical solutions to real problems. This project will see those same skills applied to the dangerous and costly issue of alcohol-related crime and I am confident that it will lead to similar successes.”
This initiative complements the ongoing Home Office work on assessing and ascertaining a suitable British standard for toughened glassware which is part of the “Safe. Sensible. Social.” agenda.
Pint Sized Facts
* Pint glasses were traditionally straight edged and had a tendency to crack or chip when stored together or during washing. In 1960 the ‘Nonic’ (no nick) glass, with a strengthened bulge an inch from the rim was invented, allowing glasses to rub together without harm.
* A pint glass holds 568ml of liquid (20 fluid ounces, an Imperial pint).
* Approximately 126 million pints of beer are served each week in the UK.
* The average British male will drink 11,600 pints of beer or lager in his lifetime.
* In a pub the average life of a pint glass is three months.
* Pint glasses have a number on them with a crown stamp from the UK Weights and Measures Authority, used to identify which local office inspect the glasses; Manchester is 76, West Yorkshire is 303 and Birmingham is 6.
* Most British pints are drunk out of French glasses made by Cristallerie d’Arques in Calais. They have their own stamp number; 2043.
• The ‘Largest Glass of Beer Commercially Available’ is being sold in New York. The ‘Beer Goddess’ holds 3 litres of beer (5.3 pints) and costs £30 to fill.
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