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Petition calls for ban on soap pubs like Queen Vic and Rovers over fears they encourage boozing

9 March 2020, 11:15

There are calls to ban the pubs from soaps over fears they encourage binge drinking. Picture: Getty/BBC

A petition has reportedly been set up to rid Coronation Street and Eastenders of their legendary pubs.

Soap pubs like Rovers Return and the Queen Vic should be banned for fear they encourage excessive alcohol consumption, according to a new petition.

The Mirror reports that the person who set up the petition claims that these pubs normalise excessive drinking, and that soaps like Coronation Street, Eastenders and Emmerdale should ban these pubs.

The Queen Vic is an integral part of Eastenders. Picture: Getty

It reads: Coronation Street, Eastenders and Emmerdale have the local pub as a community focal point.

"In almost every episode of these soaps there is an insidious normalisation of drinking throughout what constitutes a normal day.

"Characters are not only portrayed as constantly popping in and out of the Rovers Return, The Queen Vic and the Woolpack they also open a bottle of wine at home every time a problem arises."

The petition has only attracted 10 signatures. Picture: BBC

The petition has reportedly only attracted 10 signatures, and given that the pubs are such a central component of most soaps, it is unlikely that it will get much traction.

This isn't the first time that popular daytime soaps have come under fire for 'alcoholic imagery'.

The Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies hit out at Corrie's ad breaks in 2018 claiming that imagery here had a direct link to the number of viewers over 15 who consume alcohol.

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