Time to put a cap on alcohol misuse It's important, as an alcohol business, that we recognise that these issues exist and it's best to see them for yourself. That's why we went on the Seeing is Believing visits," said Mr Orlowski. Heineken decided after the visit that its super-strong Strongbow Black cider should be withdrawn. It wasn't the first time it had decided to stop selling a low-priced, high alcohol drink. Previously Heineken, whose brands include Foster's, Kronenbourg 1664, Bulmers and John Smith's, delisted its White Lightning cider. Many believe the link between affordability and availability lies behind much alcohol abuse. A Durham Police report claimed that men can drink their daily recommended limits of three to four units for only 48p, and that more than nine in 10 north-easterners associate alcohol consumption with antisocial behaviour, crime and violence. "When we went on the visits, the clients told me their stories," said Mr Orlowski. It wasn't that alcohol was the cause of their problems but it became the centre. It's hard to generalise but for some the combination of high strength and low price made alcohol a part of their tragedy. It was a debate we had been having for some time and we came to the conclusion that we could not say we were a progressively responsible business, aspiring to lead in this area, and at the same time be a part of the scenario that we saw. According to the Institute of Alcohol Studies, one in 16 of all hospital admissions is for alcohol-related causes and up to 35 per cent of all accident and emergency attendances and ambulance costs are alcohol related. Heineken HR director Robin Pring at the Seeing is Believing visit Mr Orlowski added: "In terms of alcohol and the broader public, we know that the majority drink responsibly. But there are some real alcohol misuse issues out there and we have to recognise those and hit them head on. That's why we also work with Addaction. Addaction is a charity that aims to help transform the lives of those affected by alcohol and drug problems. Heineken has worked with the organisation in Glasgow to improve the well-being of over-50s with drink problems and helped to resettle former prison inmates in Manchester who have difficulties with alcohol. It also funds an Addaction project on early intervention to tackle misuse of alcohol by young people. We are committed to doing the right things. This is not the only thing we have done around alcohol. We have rolled out around 11 million glasses showing alcohol unit information, we were one of the first to provide unit labelling on drinks and we have said we will actively remove units of alcohol by reducing the alcohol content of some of our products. "We have also rolled out a "schooner" glass, which holds less than a pint. It's just a moderation alternative; not everyone wants to drink a pint - and why should they? The point is, this is very much alive in our minds and in the way we approach business. How do shareholders respond to their senior managers taking decisions that could affect profitability in such a way? "We have taken decisions that have affected our immediate bottom line," he said. But this is all about sustainable profits. That's key. We have been around for 150 years and it's our intention to be around for another 150. It's very much our ethos; the world is changing and we have to think long term. Heineken work with drug and alcohol misuse charity Addaction Addressing the impact some strong, low-price ciders have on certain sectors of society is part of a global sustainability and responsibility programme at Heineken. It includes using locally sourced raw materials, providing greener packaging and working with communities as well as reducing its carbon footprint. And while there are obviously cost benefits from reducing water use or energy bills, the ethos is more long term than the impact on share price or profitability. For Mr Orlowski there is no alternative: "As a business you have to take a long-term view and lead on corporate social responsibility and sustainability," he said. This is alive throughout the business, not just in me or the management team... this is not about creating corporate commercial kudos with the consumer. I don't see it as PR. We want profitable and sustainable brands and we won't have a sustainable business if we don't do sustainable things in it. For Mr Orlowski, the Heineken corporate social responsibility programme - Brewing a Better Future - also forms part of his wider work with Business in the Community's Marketplace Leadership Team, which he chairs. BITC is a fantastic forum for learning from each other. It has a corporate responsibility index [to help companies systematically measure, manage and integrate responsible business practice] which is a rigorous and objective measure of responsibility. We have put ourselves through that and have a platinum ranking. We measure our progress and challenge ourselves to go further. I want to leave a positive legacy and part of that is stretching the business to go further. We want to lead in corporate social responsibility, particularly because we produce what we produce. We've been on quite a journey and have quite a bit to contribute by sharing with other businesses our experiences, decisions and approach. Mr Orlowski also said that Heineken learnt from other businesses. With the power of all those businesses, I think we really can make a difference.