Soul Beverages, a New Zealand owned soft drinks brand specialising in sophisticated non-alcoholic cocktails, is calling on partygoers to make the roads safer by looking after their designated drivers this Christmas. The company is also reminding hosts to make alternative `grown-up’ drink options readily available for drivers so they are encouraged to make the responsible choice.Drink driving is still recognised as a serious problem in New Zealand, especially throughout the festive season. According to the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand, 130 people die in a crash caused by a drink driver every year, and a further 2,000 are injured. There are around 30,000 drink driving convictions every year, and around 65 percent of these are first time offenders.
‘With all the summer barbeques and festive celebrations going on, it can be tempting to get carried away with the beers and wine and forget about the people that will be driving. However, if you are holding a party, it is important to ensure there are plenty of other drinks on hand for drivers,’ says Geoff Hunt, Managing Director of Soul Beverages. ‘Having a selection of juices, non-alcoholic wines and beers, and sophisticated, grown-up soft drinks available will make being the designated driver much more appealing and will also reduce the temptation of drinking and then getting behind the wheel.’
Geoff doesn’t believe that there enough grown-up non-alcoholic choices available for New Zealanders who don’t want to drink and thinks there would be many more individuals prepared to be the sober driver in their group if the range was wider.
‘At a lot of parties and bars, the usual choice a non-drinker can expect to make is between orange juice and cola,’ says Geoff. ‘These aren’t exciting options and often people feel excluded if they’re not sipping an interesting drink. If, on the other hand, they have a sophisticated looking drink in their hand, they are much less likely to feel left out socially. If the drink is a virgin cocktail presented in a long stemmed glass, no one else there will even realise they aren’t drinking alcohol.’
‘At a lot of parties and bars, the usual choice a non-drinker can expect to make is between orange juice and cola,’ says Geoff. ‘These aren’t exciting options and often people feel excluded if they’re not sipping an interesting drink. If, on the other hand, they have a sophisticated looking drink in their hand, they are much less likely to feel left out socially. If the drink is a virgin cocktail presented in a long stemmed glass, no one else there will even realise they aren’t drinking alcohol.’
‘Designated drivers allow everyone to have a good time and arrive home safely,’ he adds. ‘They have a hugely important part to play in keeping our roads safe over Christmas and the rest of the year and it’s vital that they are treated with consideration and given every opportunity to enjoy the night as much as the people that are drinking alcohol. We need to take care of them so they will continue providing the priceless service that they do to the community.’
For more information on Soul Beverages, visit http://www.drinksoul.com/
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