Brewery and Water Company Partner with Police to Combat Drink-Driving

A brewery and a water company have partnered with West Mercia Police to address drink-driving during the Christmas season. Titanic Breweries and Wenlock Spring Water initiated this campaign at Bod Cafe and Bar in Newport, with the expectation that it will gain public attention. Titled “The Only One For The Road,” the initiative promotes complete abstinence from alcohol for drivers, advocating for the selection of non-alcoholic beverages instead. Law enforcement officials indicate that this period frequently sees an increase in drink-driving incidents, attributed to individuals visiting pubs and bars for celebrations. Gemma Hand, manager of Bod bar, which is operated by Stoke-on-Trent-based Titanic Brewery, stated, “As a brewery we feel it’s our responsibility to make sure, as somebody who serves alcohol, that everybody’s safe.” She further noted that the Christmas season brings “a lot more footfall” to hospitality establishments such as Bod, attracting more individuals “who don’t drink as much throughout the year, so their tolerance isn’t as good.” Ms. Hand recounted an instance from a prior employment where she was compelled to intervene. She stated, “I’ve worked in the pub trade for a long time and I have had the experience of having to stop that person from [drink-driving] and making them aware that they have had too much to drink, and removing their [car] keys.” Wenlock Spring, a bottled water company based in Shropshire, is spearheading the campaign. Stephen Tuck expressed the brand’s aspiration for the campaign to effect positive change, observing the common societal pressure to consume alcohol during Christmas. He remarked, “There’s an enormous amount of pressure that isn’t necessary, and now there’s lots of [non-alcoholic] alternatives.” Tuck added, “[Drink-driving] can devastate a community – from a personal perspective I’ve lost friends to drink-drivers over the years, I’m sure everybody knows somebody who has, so it’s an important campaign for us personally as well.” Inspector Colin Robinson characterized drink-driving as “a really selfish act,” emphasizing that it has been responsible for 36 fatalities within the West Mercia force area over the last three years. He further stated, “Last year during the drink-drive campaign, for the month of December alone in the three counties [Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire] we arrested 266 people [for drink-driving].” The police force is implementing Operation Limit to address this problem and has acknowledged the backing from Wenlock Spring and Titanic Brewery. Digital vans displaying prominent messages encouraging people to refrain from drinking and driving are scheduled to circulate throughout the region, targeting popular hospitality locations such as pubs and bars. “It’s really simple: don’t drink and drive. Have a plan, book the taxi in advance, get yourself a designated driver – and you don’t have to have alcoholic drinks if you are going out,” Inspector Robinson advised. He concluded, “Just be sensible, be safe – and don’t be selfish.”