'Crippling' beer tax shuts down 12 British pubs a week Pub landlords are calling time on their businesses at a rate of 12 every week in Britain as rising beer taxes "cripple" the industry. Duty on alcohol has soared by 42 per cent since 2008 sparking widespread criticism over above-inflation tax increases. Real ale campaign group Camra said more than 33,000 consumers have now signed a national e-petition calling for an end to the "unsustainable" rise in prices. Camra's chief executive Mike Benner said: "Whether situated in a small village, city high street, or on the edge of a housing estate, pubs are so central to our society that whole communities can grow around a particular pub. A threat to the future of traditional pubs is therefore also a threat to countless social groups within Britain that thrive because of their local. Unsustainable beer tax increases by the Government are ripping the heart out of community centres, but with over 33,000 consumers having recently signed the beer tax e-petition, beer drinkers and pub-goers are actively voicing their discontent.