12 December 2011
Minister Varadkar launches drinkaware.ie/Road Safety Authority ‘Morning After’ Christmas Campaign
Monday 12th December – Minister of Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar T.D. has today lent his support to the launch of the drinkaware.ie/Road Safety Authority ‘Morning After’ Campaign for Christmas. With the recent arrival of the new lower drink-driving limits, it has never been more important to remember the morning after.
Speaking at the launch Minister Varadkar said, “The overall message remains ‘don’t drink and drive’. I am asking people who intend to drive the morning after a night out to be conscious of the amount they had to drink, and of the time it takes for alcohol to pass through a person’s system. The presence of alcohol in the system impairs driving abilities. If you’re in doubt, don’t drive and find an alternative means of travelling’.
As people get ready for the festive season Fionnuala Sheehan, Chief Executive of drinkaware.ie commented, “The reality is that it takes our bodies about an hour to get rid of one standard drink. A standard drink is equal to a glass of beer / cider, a small glass of wine or a pub measure of spirits. That means a pint contains two standard drinks and a home measure of spirits or wine may contain 2-3 standard drinks.
This December we want people to think about the ‘morning after’ when they get in their cars to go to work, go shopping, and visit friends or family. No amount of coffee, energy drinks, cold showers or breakfast rolls will speed up the elimination of alcohol from our systems. You might feel better afterwards, but that doesn’t mean you’re fit to drive. The message from drinkaware.ie is to take responsibility for your drinking, do the maths the morning after and if you think you still have alcohol in your system then don’t risk driving. Equally, the message to passengers is not to get in a car with anyone who you think is not safe to drive”.
Commenting on the launch of the campaign Noel Brett, CEO of the Road Safety Authority said, “I would like to compliment all of the publicans across the country who have developed designated driver schemes, key holding services, distribution of hi vis vests, partnerships with local Taxi / Hackney providers and direct provision of transport to keep their customers safe. Well done to the public who utilise these services and to those who act as designated drivers. It is a measure of changed behaviour and social consciousness to see cars left at pubs overnight. In the past many of these cars would have been driven home after a nights drinking.
This campaign by MEAS seeks to remind anyone who has been out drinking and has a late night to be vigilant about their fitness to drive the following morning. As we approach the festive season it is critical that people continue with their responsible behaviour; it has saved lives and prevented serious injuries to date and will continue to do so. ”
If you are unsure how many standard drinks are in your usual– log on to www.drinkaware.ie and use the handy Standard Drinks Calculator . If you are entertaining at home over the Christmas period, remember that your measures may be more generous than those in the pub. Simple tips like investing in a spirit measure and waiting until your guests have finished their drinks before offering a refill, helps everyone keep track of how much they are drinking.
There are many public transport options and a designated driver scheme available over the festive season see details below.
| Irish Rail |
Irish Rail Full DART and InterCity services will operate over the festive season. Services will cease at 21.00hrs on Christmas Eve with no services on Christmas Day or Stephen’s Day. Normal services will resume on the 27th December with the exception of New Years’s Eve when services will stop at 21.00hrs. Check www.irishrail.ie for further information. |
| Dublin Bus |
Will operate Nitelink services on certain days over the festive period. Regular services will stop at 9pm on Christmas Eve and recommence on St. Stephens Day (operating on a Sunday time table). Visit www.dublinbus.ie for details |
| Bus Eireann |
Will operate additional Niterider services in Leinster and Cork over the festive period. |
| Coco Cola Designated Driver Campaign |
Designated drivers can enjoy up to three free drinks in participating venues this Christmas. Visit www.designateddriver.ie for details. |
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: FIONNUALA SHEEHAN TEL. 01 6114811 / 086 8351445
About drinkaware.ie
The drinkaware.ie responsible drinking programme was developed in 2006 by MEAS (Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Ireland Limited), a registered charity. MEAS was established in 2002 by the alcohol manufacturers, distributors and licensed trade associations in Ireland as an independent not for profit company with no commercial purpose. The drinkaware.ie programme is supported by a commitment from the drinks industry, given in the context of the 2005/2006 Irish Government sponsored social partnership initiative on alcohol.
The aim of the drinkaware.ie programme is to promote responsibility when drinking and to challenge anti-social behaviour related to excessive drinking. It addresses all consumers while specifically targeting 18- to 24-year-olds, with a bulls-eye of 22-year-olds.
A broad range of partners support the programme, including the Gardaí, local authorities, the Road Safety Authority, the Digital Hub Development Agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs, student representative bodies, NGOs, college health services, on-trade retailers, drinks companies, supermarkets and most other off-trade outlets, insurance companies, public transport companies, sports organisations, utility companies, entertainment companies and the media industry.
Further information is available at www.drinkaware.ie and www.meas.ie