Party sensibly, drink conscientiously

CARLSBERG Malaysia has pledged its support towards Global Be(er) Responsibility Day (GBRD) for the third consecutive year. It joins 19 other Carlsberg markets across the globe, including Denmark, France, Finland and India, in the endeavour.
The worldwide effort, themed #CelebrateResponsibly, aims to promote responsible consumption of beer and to advocate against drink driving.
THINK BEFORE YOU DRINK
“Beer should be enjoyed in moderation. We believe in targeted interventions, organised collectively in a multi-stakeholder set-up to drive mindset and behaviour change. With that in mind, we celebrate GBRD this year by collaborating with our trade partners to activate #CelebrateResponsibly efforts in conjunction with the upcoming Oktoberfest campaign,” shared Carlsberg Malaysia corporate communications and CSR director Pearl Lai.
“We are also in the process of incorporating the message ‘Meminum arak boleh membahayakan kesihatan’ (which simply means excessive alcohol consumption is harmful) on the labels of all product packaging in compliance with the amendment to the Food Regulations 1985 Act by the Ministry of Health,” Lai added.
LIVE PASSIONATELY, DRINK RESPONSIBLY
While the Carlsberg Group across the globe holds the vision of a society who practises responsible drinking, it hopes to see a continuous reduction in irresponsible drinking statistics across the markets it operates in by 2030. The goal also supports the objective of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which is to reduce harmful use of alcohol, and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3, which is to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”.
Part of the Group’s efforts will include running a variety of programmes aimed at responsible consumption of alcohol which highlights deterrence of drink driving and underaged drinking; server and seller training efforts; and consumer education programmes. Selected local markets will also promote a high quality range of alcohol-free products to suit consumers’ preferences and different drinking occasions.
PARTY HARD, PARTY SMART
“On Global Be(er) Responsibility Day, we celebrate the positive role of beer in society and our year-round efforts to promote responsible drinking. It is a strong example of how we are working towards our vision for a society with zero irresponsible drinking, as part of our new sustainability strategy, ‘Together Towards Zero’. I am particularly pleased to see so many of our business partners and stakeholders joining us in this effort and work on collective solutions to address a societal challenge,” said Carlsberg Group CEO Cees t’ Hart.
This October, with the merriment that comes with Oktoberfest, party hard, but party smart. Here are a tips and hints to bear in mind:
▶ Know the legal limits and your personal tolerance to alcohol.
▶ Eat while you drink.
▶ Sip, don’t gulp or bottoms up.
▶ Appoint a designated driver who does not drink or use Grab/ Uber.
▶ Avoid mixing liquor/drinks.
DID YOU KNOW?
• The legal breath alcohol content (BAC) limit in Malaysia is 0.08%.
• Effective Dec 1, the legal age for purchase of alcoholic beverages will be raised from 18 to 21.