Survey Results Released as Sir Viv Richards and Johnnie Walker Launch New Phase of Responsible Drinking Campaign to Raise Awareness around the Issue of Drink/Driving
February 2nd, 2009 (Kingston, Jamaica) – Today, Johnnie Walker® the world’s best-selling brand of Scotch Whisky, and West Indies cricket legend Sir Vivian Richards, announced the results of a recent survey to assess the latest consumer attitudes towards alcohol consumption and drink driving.
The survey was conducted in January 2009, with male and females between the ages of 18 and 50 being questioned across five countries in the Caribbean: Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad. To ensure the integrity of the results, Errol Simms, Head of Management Studies at the University of West Indies, worked with Sir Viv and Johnnie Walker to create the questionnaire, supervised the execution, and analysed the results of the survey.
Sir Vivian Richards and Johnnie Walker wanted to be fully aware of, and understand, current social attitudes towards alcohol and drink/driving across the Caribbean before launching the latest phase of the ‘Know Your Boundaries’ Responsible Drinking Campaign that focuses on the issue of Drinking & Driving.
The overall results of the survey show that drink/driving is a significant problem that persists in the Caribbean, despite people being aware of and concerned about the issue. The most worrying statistic is 54% of all males questioned, admitted to drink driving on one or more occasions every week. Statistics gathered indicate that 59% of those same males surveyed said that they were ‘very concerned’ about the issue of drink driving.
Errol Simms commented; “The fact that over half of the men surveyed said they drive after drinking every week is a worrying statistic, but not an altogether surprising one. In most of the countries throughout the Caribbean, the public transport network is not extensive enough to get people home safely at night which leaves them with few options. Sir Viv and Johnnie Walker’s ‘Designate a Driver’ campaign to ask people to plan their night out and appoint a designated driver who won’t drink and who will be responsible for driving everyone home safely, is a realistic way to start addressing the problem.”
Sir Viv Richards added: “We realise that people won’t stop drink driving over night, but by raising awareness around the issue and educating people to always plan their night out and designate a driver, we can hopefully start to change peoples’ habits and make the roads on these beautiful islands a safer place for everyone.”
The survey also showed that 51% of those surveyed (males and females aged 18 to 50) did not know what the laws were in their country regarding drinking & driving.
Rob Hobart, Marketing Director of Diageo CAFEC added: “Many governments set legal BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) limits for drivers and Diageo advocates the introduction of legal levels where they do not exist, as well as tough penalties for those convicted of drink driving offences. For 2009, Johnnie Walker’s Know Your Boundaries – Designate a Driver campaign is focusing on educating people about alternative ways to get home safely. We know from the survey that 56% of all those questioned said that drinking & driving is the most critical issue facing society at the moment and that’s why with Sir Viv’s help, we hope to be further increasing awareness of the importance of Responsible Drinking and its impact on the Drink/Driving front.”
About Johnnie Walker®
The Johnnie Walker® portfolio features five award-winning whiskies – Red Label®, Black Label®, Green Label®, Gold Label® and Blue Label® – imported and distributed in the United States by Diageo North America. At the 2006 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Green Label was named “Best Blended Scotch.” More than five bottles of Johnnie Walker are consumed every second, and more than 160 million bottles are sold every year in nearly 200 countries. The product line covers a broad range of occasions for the whisky drinker from every day to special moments. The five premium brands represent a range of prices and tastes that share a remarkable 180-year history and a commitment to quality. Additional information about Johnnie Walker may be found at www.johnniewalker.com
About Sir Vivian Richards
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, (born St John’s, Antigua on 7 March 1952) is a former West Indian cricketer. Richards made his Test match debut for the West Indian cricket team in 1974 against India in Bangalore. He made an unbeaten 192 in the second Test of the same series in New Delhi. He scored 8,540 runs in 121 Test matches at an average of 50.23 (including 24 centuries). Richards also scored 5 centuries in World Series Cricket between 1977-79. He is also the scorer of the fastest-ever Test century, from just 56 balls against England in Antigua during the 1986 tour. His highest innings of 291 is sixth on the list of West Indies’ highest individual scores. Richards captained the West Indies in fifty test matches from 1980-1991. He is the only West Indies captain never to lose a Test series.
About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 200 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com.
Celebrating life, every day, everywhere, responsibly.
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