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Safer pint glasses: how they work

The two new designs are the first major advance in glassware for pubs since the 1960s. They are:

• Glass Plus: looks like a regular pint glass but a thin see-through coating binds the pieces together if the glass is broken
• Twin Wall: two ultra-thin layers of bonded glass like a laminated car windscreen - again, resin binds them together if the glass is broken

The safer pint glasses, designed not to shatter into loose shards, were produced under the Design Out Crime programme. The programme is a partnership involving the Home Office’s Design & Technology Alliance Against Crime and the Design Council.

Dozens of early trial glasses (or prototypes) were made by design consultancy Design Bridge. These were tested by leading glass manufacturers, materials experts, drinks producers and pub owners before the two final solutions were chosen.

The new glasses will now undergo a range of tests before they are ready to be piloted in pubs and bars.

Why the new pint glasses were made

The Design Out Crime programme aims to make crimes more difficult to commit. There are 87,000 violent incidents involving glass each year. As well as hurting victims, it costs the NHS an estimated £2.7 billion a year to treat the injuries.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: "Glassing causes horrific injuries and has a lasting and devastating impact on victims and their families. I hope these designs will help bring an end to such attacks.

"Tackling crime is not just about police action. Innovation and design also have a huge impact."

David Helps, Director of 3D and Innovation, Design Bridge, said: "The beauty of these glasses is that they keep everything British drinkers love about their pint; they look good and are safer in front of and behind the bar."

More on Directgov

• Alcohol and crime (crime, justice and the law section)

• Alcohol, young people and the law (parents section)

• Encouraging sensible drinking (parents section)