Labatt marks 30-year commitment to responsible drinking with annual Be(er) Responsible Day

2013 Be(er) Responsible Day focuses on celebrating designated drivers with #THANKABUD message

TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2013 /CNW/ - This year, Labatt marks its 30th anniversary of promoting responsible drinking. As part of the company's annual Be(er) Responsible Day, Labatt employees will visit bars, restaurants and retailers across the country to demonstrate their personal commitment to responsible drinking.

This year's Be(er) Responsible Day focus is on celebrating the designated driver and the important role they play in Canada's communities. Canadians are encouraged to #THANKABUD on their social media channels and take the pledge thanking the designated driver in their life at tinyurl.com/THANKABUD.  Fans can also share Budweiser's new Thank You Designated Drivers ad at www.facebook.com/BudweiserCanada.  Thank You Designated Drivers features a real-life designated driver who was surprised with a "thank you" tribute at a bar during a night out with his friends. The ad emphasizes the important role of the designated driver and the positive impact of designated drivers on their community.

"Labatt was the first Canadian beer company to come out with a responsible drinking message and we are extremely proud to continue that trend 30 years later. Beer Responsible Day is a rally day for our employees to get out in the community and show their commitment to responsible drinking by working with community leaders, government and customers ," said Charlie Angelakos, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Labatt Breweries of Canada.

A recent study conducted by Ipsos Reid† on the attitudes of Canadians 19 - 34 years of age towards driving and driving showed that 85% of passengers agreed that if designated drivers got more credit for what they do, more people would volunteer to be one.  The survey looked at attitudes of both the designated driver and passengers.

Other key findings from passengers include:

• Over the past three years, 75% of respondents have been hosted by a designated driver "all of the time" or "sometimes"
• Designated drivers save lives - 94% agree (62% strongly agree/32% somewhat agree); 5% disagree (1% strongly/4% somewhat)
• I admire and respect people who volunteer to be designated drivers - 94% agree (56% strongly agree/38% somewhat agree); 7% disagree (2% strongly/5% somewhat)
• It's important that more people share the responsibility of being a designated driver - 93% agree (52% strongly/41% somewhat); 7% disagree (1% strongly/6% somewhat)
• Designated drivers are "cool" - 85% agree (40% strongly agree/45% somewhat agree); 15% disagree (2% strongly/13% somewhat)

"Labatt is building on the desire of Canadians to end drinking and driving. We are growing our appreciation for those who hold themselves personally responsible by volunteering to be a designated driver. People are motivated to do the right thing and, as the research shows, recognition and appreciation from friends and family will only help to motivate others to volunteer as a designated driver," said Angelakos.

About Better World
Through our commitment to be the Best Beer Company in a Better World, Labatt is the beer industry leader in social responsibility initiatives. Our Better World efforts focus on three pillars: promoting responsible drinking; protecting the environment; and giving back to the communities in which we live and work. Across Canada, we develop and implement social responsibility programs and campaigns in partnership with parents, government officials, community organizations, retailers and others. From promoting responsible drinking messages in arenas and venues through the Budweiser Good Sport program, to achieving a recycling rate of 98% in our six breweries, to volunteering in the community, Labatt and its employees are committed to making a difference.

† 'Designated Driving: A New Generation Comes of Age' was conducted by Ipsos Reid between July 5 - 15, 2013 on behalf of Labatt Breweries of Canada. For this survey, a sample of 1,318 Canadians (1,014 of whom have a valid driver's license) between the ages of 18/19-34 (depending on legal drinking age within a particular province) were interviewed online by Ipsos' Canadian online panel.  Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online surveys is measured using a credibility interval.  In this case, the survey is accurate to within +/- 3.1 percentage points had all Canadians, ages 18/19-34, been surveyed, and to within +/- 3.5 percentage points had all licensed Canadians in this sample universe been surveyed. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

A designated driver is defined as the person in a group who has been designated as the one who will abstain from drinking alcohol so that he/she can drive companions home safely. 

SOURCE: Labatt Breweries of Canada

For further information:

Briar Wells
Labatt Breweries of Canada
[e-mail]
416-361-5247