Dundee University Students’ Union has introduced glasses that hold two pints.
The move, which will lead to bar staff pulling 1.136 litres of beer into a single glass, is designed to eliminate throngs of thirsty queuing students.
Alcohol awareness group Drinkaware has hit out at the change, which they claim could lead to students “getting very drunk, very quickly” for the price of £4.50 per two-pint glass.
Dundee University Students’ Association president, Iain MacKinnon, said the larger glasses are not a gimmick as they have reduced queues and the tension that often erupts in them.
He said: “We were noticing that, particularly in the sports bar, big queues were forming when events were being broadcast and a lot of people were spending more time waiting for a drink than watching the match.
“From a safety perspective, research has shown that long, slow queues can lead to customers getting more aggravated, and obviously that is something we want to try to avoid as much as possible.”
The glasses were introduced when students returned from the winter break, and Mr MacKinnon said there was an immediate impact.
“We’ve noticed a reduction in queues, which is good for both customers and staff,” he said.
“More people can enjoy watching the sport, and it frees up a bit of time for the staff to do their other duties.
Mr MacKinnon added that the larger glasses were not designed to attract people to consume more alcohol.
He said: “The price of the two-pint glass is exactly the same as two single pints, so no one is saving money by getting their drinks in the bigger glass.
“In fact, a lot of people choosing to stay on the soft drinks find the two-pint glasses handy too.
“It’s all about making people’s experiences better and making sure they are spending more time doing what they came to the union to do.
The glasses have proven popular at some of the big sporting events to have taken place so far this year, Mr MacKinnon added.
But Elaine Hindal, chief executive of Drinkaware, said the move could lead to students easily breaking government drinking guidelines.
She told The Courier: “The government advises that people should not regularly drink more than the lower risk guidelines of 3-4 units of alcohol for men (equivalent to a pint-and-a-half of 4% beer) and 2-3 units of alcohol for women (equivalent to a 175ml glass of wine).
“A two-pint glass of beer is the equivalent of 4-5 units of alcohol.
“Students drinking this amount could be drinking more than they realise in a short space of time, getting very drunk very quickly and potentially putting themselves in risky situations.”