Industry watchdog and sensible drink campaigner the Portman Group has appointed a new director of campaigns and communications. Jim Minton will assume overall responsibility for both the campaigns and marketing and communications and events teams, both of which have recently doubled in size. Jean Coussins, chief executive of the Portman Group, said: Jim joins us at a particularly exciting time. The Government is introducing its Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy and overhauling the licensing laws; the drinks industry's revised Code of Practice has come into force, and we're continuing to persuade the million or so 18- to 24-year-olds who regularly go out drinking-to-get-drunk to think twice.' Minton worked for Bass before moving into the voluntary sector. More recently he was director of marketing at Centrepoint.