Drinkaware, the national charity working to prevent and reduce alcohol misuse is providing the public with tips to have a safe Easter Bank Holiday.
Ahead of the Easter weekend, Drinkaware wants to remind people of the dangers of driving the morning after drinking, highlighting the Drinkaware drinks calculator as a useful tool to keep track of how many drinks you have had and providing an estimation of how long it will take your body to process alcohol.
The Drinkaware drinks calculator is the most popular tool on drinkaware.ie. Over the St. Patrick’s weekend, there were 15,212 visits to the calculator. The interest in the calculator clearly indicates people want to keep track of their consumption and be more aware of the impact alcohol can have, whether it be the time it takes to process, the sugar content, the number of standard drinks, or the impact on their bank balance.
The Drinkaware Annual Barometer 2022*, found 87% of people agree that any amount of alcohol impairs your ability to drive. Yet, figures from An Garda Síochána revealed that over the Easter weekend in 2022, there were 184 arrests for drink/drug driving (111 alcohol/73 drugs). **
This Easter weekend, Drinkaware is providing the information you need to keep yourself and your loved ones safe:
Know the facts on driving the morning after:
· It takes at least one hour to process one standard drink
· An average pint of beer equals two standard drinks. This means it will take your body two hours to process one pint of beer
· Alcohol levels continue to rise for hours after consuming the drink of choice
· The only way to remove alcohol from your system is time, no amount of food or water will speed up the process
· Neither will the common myths of showering, eating a large breakfast, coffee, energy drinks or exercise
· The processing time starts from when the last drink is finished.
Tips for a safe and mindful long weekend:
· Alternate every drink for a glass of water
· Don’t top up your glass, let yourself finish the drink before pouring another
· Set a spending limit and stick to it
· Ask yourself ‘Do I really want this drink?’
· Plan a safe route home before you go out. Double check public transport and remember it will be a busy weekend for taxis.
Try some alcohol-free events over the long weekend:
· Take part in a free local park run
· Make sure to check out your local area for different events taking place (easter egg hunts, family festivals and much more)
· Organise a mocktail night
· There are loads of alcohol-free alternatives available, if you are heading out over the weekend, why not give the zero alcohol alternatives a try.
CEO of Drinkaware, Sheena Horgan, commented:
‘Our mission at Drinkaware is to prevent and reduce the misuse of alcohol in Ireland. We want to provide people with practical information, tips and supports to help them stay safe during the long weekend. Whether that’s being more mindful if they are drinking alcohol, or the dangers of driving the morning after they have been drinking. We know Irish drinking culture is changing as seen through our Annual Barometer survey, with 39% of Irish adults agreeing that “Irish drinking culture has changed for the better over the last three years”.
However, we also know that there is an increase in drink driving, fatalities and other road accidents over bank holiday weekends. We want to assist the public in their safety by providing practical information on drink driving, and when it is safe to drive the morning after. It is important that people understand how long it takes for their bodies to process alcohol, to prevent the typical rise we see in accidents over Bank Holiday weekends. I invite the public to visit our Drink Driving page for more information, and to heed the advice of the RSA and an Garda Síochána to keep our roads safe.’
With the Easter weekend coming up, it is important for the public to enjoy themselves but also to be aware of the dangers and how to minimise the risks. Keeping track of how many drinks you have had the night before means you can make informed decisions before getting behind the wheel of a car. Knowledge is power and we would encourage the public to make use of the Drinkaware drinks calculator. Let’s continue to change our drinking culture for the better and make the Easter weekend a positive and enjoyable experience for all.’
