This Halloween get the facts, be 'Drinkaware'

Keep our roads safe this Bank Holiday weekend

Drinkaware, the national charity working to prevent and reduce alcohol misuse, is providing advice and tips to stay safe this October Bank Holiday.

With Halloween fast approaching, many of us are looking forward to socialising, spending time with friends and family and a little ‘trick-or-treating'.

Ahead of the bank holiday weekend and Halloween celebrations Drinkaware, the national charity working to prevent and reduce alcohol misuse, wants to remind people of the dangers of driving the morning after drinking and provide helpful information, tips, and advice on how to safely socialise.

The Drinkaware Annual Barometer 2022, found 87% of people agree that any amount of alcohol impairs your ability to drive.

Yet research carried out by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) in June 2021 saw 1 in 10 drivers admitting to drink driving in the past 12 months.

Figures released by An Garda Síochána revealed that there has been an increase in Irish road deaths in 2022.

Tragically, 119 lives have been lost on Irish roads so far due to speeding, collisions, drink/drug driving, careless & wreck less driving.

During the build-up to Halloween through to the New Year, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the Garda have warned motorists to expect an increase in the number of traffic and speed checkpoints. This will target speeding as well as drink and drug driving.

This bank holiday weekend, Drinkaware is providing the information you need to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. People want to do the right thing, and this was seen in our 2019 research prior to Covid-19, where 42% of motorists had cut down on their drinking if they knew they would be driving the next morning, and 18% switched to non-alcoholic beer so they could drive the next morning.

Know the facts on driving ‘the morning after’

· It takes at least one hour to process one standard drink

· Examples of a standard drink are, half a pint of beer, 100ml glass of wine, or a 35.5ml measure of spirits

· The time starts from when the last drink is finished

· For example, if a person finished drinking at midnight, and have had 3 pints, they will have consumed 6 standard drinks. This means they need to wait at least 6 hours from midnight - when they stopped drinking before their body will have processed the alcohol and they should not get behind the wheel of a car until 6am at the earliest.

· The only way to remove alcohol from your system is time, no amount of food or water will speed up the process.

As the days get darker, the roads can be more dangerous with rain and ice, so it is more important than ever to drive safely and look out for each other on the roads.

The Drinkaware drinks calculator helps you keep track of how many standard drinks you have had, how that compares to the HSE low-risk weekly guidelines, and an estimate as to how long it may take your body to process the alcohol.

With the Halloween festivities approaching it is important to be alert at the wheel. Set a positive example to children and others by never, ever drinking and driving, and role model positive Halloween celebrations without alcohol:

Tips to drink less this Halloween:

· Use a measure: When having a drink at home, it can be easy to drink more than you might have planned. Using a drinks measure helps you keep track of how much you are drinking. A free measure cup can be ordered online at https://drinkaware.ie/order-resources/

· Drink plenty of water: Alcohol causes dehydration. Try to alternate each alcoholic drink with a glass of water. Keep a jug of water on the table to make this easier.

· Stock up on alcohol alternatives: There are so many low and no-alcohol wines, spirits, and beers available these days. So, it is a great time to make the swap to an alcohol-free alternative.

· Make sure to eat before you drink: Always provide food if you are hosting a small gathering of friends or family.

Jennifer Flynn, Director of Communications for Drinkaware commented:

"Compared to last year, our drink driving page is up over 100% in with over 100,000 page views. Clearly, this shows that the public want to do the right thing and to be aware of the dangers of drinking and driving.

"However, statistics show that road accidents in Ireland typically increase over bank holiday weekends. The RSA have reported that 64 people have been killed or seriously injured in October Bank Holiday collisions between 2016-2020. We want to provide people with the practical information and tips to help them stay safe on the roads this October Bank Holiday.

"We know people are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving and with Halloween coming up, more people will be on the roads this bank holiday weekend.

"It is important that people are aware of how long it takes their body to process alcohol from the night before, and also what a standard drink actually is. Only 3% of Irish adults are aware of the HSE low-risk weekly guidelines, and just 1 in 10 Irish adults can correctly identify the three most common standard drink measures, people need this information.

"Understanding what a standard drink is and what the HSE low-risk weekly guidelines means you can make informed decisions about how much you drink this Bank Holiday and in the run up to the festive season. We are urging the public to be informed, listen to the advice of the RSA and Garda Síochána, and keep our roads safe."