Just a small one, madam? Get ready for the 125ml wine glass

Bars and pubs will be forced to offer wine in smaller glasses under a new government clampdown on drinking.

Drinkers will be able to order a "mini" 125ml serving so they control the amount of alcohol they consume.

The bid to downsize drink measures is among draft proposals to be published next month by ministers.

A mandatory code of practice for retailers means any venue selling alcohol will have to offer customers a choice of the size of drink they order.

A "standard" glass of wine used to be 125ml - the equivalent of one unit of alcohol - but the majority of bars and pubs have scrapped this in favour of a "small" serving of 175ml or "large" at 250ml which is the equivalent of a third of a bottle of wine.

Health experts including the Royal College of Physicians say the practice is pushing consumers over "safe" drink limits. But retailers revealed today they are prepared to defy government attempts to force them to reintroduce smaller wine glasses.

Britain's biggest high-street chain JD Wetherspoon said it had no plans to change and blamed a lack of demand from customers. Spokesman Eddie Gershon told the Evening Standard: "We don't do 125ml because there is no demand. We need to treat people as adults - customers have to be responsible."

London's oldest wine bar Gordon's, near Embankment, criticised the Government for "meddling" and said it would be only offering 175ml glasses or larger. Manager Gerard Menan said: "People who come here are hard-working, stressed and they want to enjoy themselves having a drink. No one asks us to serve smaller [glasses]."

Davy's is one of the few actively considering reintroducing smaller measures from next month. The bar chain said a 125ml glass "connected" with the Government's message on sensible drinking. Retailers also warn it will cost too much to stock up on smaller wine glasses.

But anti-addiction charity Alcohol Concern said pub and bar owners only needed to buy a 125ml measure at a cost of £9. Chief executive Don Shenker said: "It's about giving consumers choice. [Pub owners] only need to buy a £9 measure. People delude themselves into thinking they've only had a few glasses of wine but in reality they're drinking more because of large glasses."

A 125ml glass of average strength wine is about one unit of alcohol. But many wines now contain 14 or 15 per cent alcohol, increasing the unit count, and a 250ml glass of a high-strength wine could contain as many as 3.5 units.

Royal College of Physicians president Ian Gilmore warned some women especially were drinking more than the daily recommended limit of 2-3 units.

He said: "The proliferation of large glasses mean people are pushed up over those limits inadvertently."

Health minister Dawn Primarolo said: "Glass sizes have increased. Too often the only size available is a large glass - that's a third of a bottle. I would like to see more choice available."

'IT'S A NANNY STATE. SMALLER GLASSES MEAN DRINKERS WILL BUY MORE'

Denise Funke, 27, from Clapham

"I've never ordered a small glass of wine. The Government's trying to regulate drinking habits but it won't work as people in groups will order a bottle. More regulation means more people will stay at home, like the smoking ban. Maybe we're alcoholics but the Government just likes to make our lives really complicated."

Charlie Taylor, 28, a barman from Brighton

"In the pub where I work we don't sell many small glasses of wine. I don't think a new size would make much of a difference. Generally people want big glasses. There is no harm in offering it I suppose."

Aurelia Gorman, 25, a law student from west London

"It's a nanny state. If there are smaller sizes people will just buy two. I think it's too small. People should be aware of what they're drinking rather than bars being forced to help regulate it. I know enough to realise that a large glass has about a third of a bottle of wine."

Elizabeth Barrett, 30, a health worker from Dublin

"On a Saturday night you're not counting your units so from that point of view it's a good thing. The argument though is the whole Big Brother thing. How much do you allow people to police themselves or know when is enough?"

Emma Horton, 27, an advertising researcher from Fulham

"Smaller glasses are not a good idea - people may actually end up drinking more. If you're out for a quiet drink then a large is a nice size as it lasts longer. Otherwise you'd have to buy two. Would they make a larger glass smaller as well? People might say a small is too small and a large too large."