The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has slammed government plans to introduce mandatory regulation and labeling for the licensed retail sector.

Responding to a report commissioned by the Department of Health - which claimed that the drinks industry was "not adhering to its own voluntary code" - BBPA spokesperson Mark Hastings said the government was again showing signs of a knee-jerk reaction.

"The government's approach should be to address the underlying culture and change attitudes, not just legislate and regulate," he said. "Legislation is a sledgehammer that will not crack the nut."

In its report, conducted by KPMG, the Department of Health claimed that alcohol is a far wider cause of damage to people's health than previously suspected, and that tough action was needed to curb the trend.

Public Health minister Dawn Primarolo suggested a host of new laws to tackle alcohol misus, including a restriction on happy hours and irresponsible promotions; the introduction of smaller-sized drinks measures; and displaying the amount of units in each drink at points of sale and/or on each drink.

The measures were described by the BBPA as a classic example of the government's tendency to announce new laws, rather than enforce existing ones.

"This is an industry that already bears the burden of one the heaviest tax and regulatory regimes in the world," Hastings added.

"With the economy in a precarious position, business under pressure, pubs closing at record rates and people feeling the pinch, now is not the time to be announcing a raft of new costs, regulations and restrictions on either businesses or individuals.

"The inevitable impact of such measures is to force up costs and prices and push more pubs towards penury."

BBPA's calls for less regulation were echoed by the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR).

Tim Sykes, ALMR chair, said: "The government must acknowledge that the vast majority of pubs operators are responsible retailers.