“Responsibility Starts with Me” campaign launches in time for Alcohol Responsibility Month
For 25-year anniversary, national not-for-profit unveils campaign highlighting personal responsibility
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org) today launched a new campaign, called "Responsibility Starts with Me," with the goal of sparking a national conversation about alcohol responsibility. Kicking off April's designation as "Alcohol Responsibility Month,” the campaign also celebrates Responsibility.org’s 25 years of impact on the issues of drunk driving, underage drinking and responsible alcohol consumption.
Responsibility.org is a national not-for-profit funded by America’s leading distillers that leads the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking and promotes the responsible consumption of alcohol. The organization recently conducted research among American adults to learn what personal responsibility, especially when it comes to consuming alcohol, means to them. According to this research, three out of four American adults (76 percent) believe responsibility starts with “me,” and 68 percent believe it is everyone’s own personal responsibility to address the harmful consumption of alcohol.
“With the ‘Responsibility Starts with Me’ campaign, we hope to ignite a national conversation about what it means to ‘drink responsibly,’ knowing that definition is a personal one and is most likely different for everyone,” said Ralph Blackman, president and CEO of Responsibility.org.
The organization invites Americans — drinkers and non-drinkers — to share their personal stories through videos, blog posts, photos, and social media posts describing what responsibility means to them using #StartsWithMe. The campaign’s announcement video provides some examples for those wanting to participate.
“For 25 years, Responsibility.org has led the fight against drunk driving and underage drinking, and I am excited for this new campaign highlighting the importance of personal responsibility when it comes to alcohol. Responsibility starts at the individual level,” said Mike Keyes, president of Brown-Forman’s North American region and chair of Responsibility.org’s board of directors. “Responsibility.org unites the top players in the distilled spirits industry for a common, critical cause, and because of that, we have had a significant impact in reducing drunk driving and underage drinking and promoting responsible drinking.”
“Over the past 25 years, drunk driving has declined over 50 percent and underage drinking is down 63 percent,” Blackman said. “Yet there’s still work to be done. We at Responsibility.org designate April as Alcohol Responsibility Month as a step beyond just raising awareness. Responsibility starts with every American — whether you’re a 20-something limiting your happy hour because you’ve got a big meeting the next day, a parent teaching your child to make a smart decision, a law enforcement official keeping the streets safe, or even a teen saying ‘no’ to underage drinking.”
Here’s what Americans had to say when asked how they ensure they drink responsibly:
- Six out of 10 Americans aged 21 or older say they choose “not to drink and drive” (63 percent), “know their limits” (63 percent) and “don’t drink too much” (57 percent).
- Half “plan for safe transportation home” (48 percent), “choose not to drink on occasion” (43 percent), and “eat food” (44 percent).
- Thirty-six percent report they “stay with friends or in a group” to ensure they have a safe and responsible drinking experience.
Alcohol Responsibility Month is not only a time for adults to examine their own drinking. It is also a time for adults to talk about alcohol with teens and kids.
“There is no better time than Alcohol Responsibility Month to talk to your kids and teens about making smart choices, especially the choice to say ‘no’ to underage drinking,” said Lisa Graham Keegan, chair of Responsibility.org’s national advisory board. “The ‘Responsibility Starts with Me’ message is extremely applicable to parents and teachers, as they are role models to their kids and students, and parents are the leading influence over their teens’ decision to drink — or not to drink — alcohol. We hope the campaign’s message of personal responsibility will empower parents and teachers to continue having conversations with their kids and students about responsibility, in all aspects of life, throughout the year and for years to come.”
Learn more about the campaign at Responsibility.org, and join the online conversation by using #StartsWithMe.
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About the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org) is a national not-for-profit that leads the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking and is funded by the following distillers: Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Beam Suntory Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO; Edrington; Hood River Distillers, Inc.; and Pernod Ricard USA. Recognizing 25 years of impact, Responsibility.org has transformed countless lives through programs that bring individuals, families and communities together to guide a lifetime of conversations around alcohol responsibility. To learn more, please visit us at Responsibility.org or follow us on social media: @goFAAR.
Methodology
The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility commissioned a survey of American adults regarding their attitudes about the responsible consumption of alcohol. This report represents the findings of the online survey conducted via Toluna’s Global Omnibus. The survey was conducted online in United States among national sample of 1,061 adults ages 18 and older. The survey was completed March 17-18, 2016. The Global Omnibus Study was fielded for quota based on census numbers for the variables of age, gender and region. The data was further weighted on age, gender, region, education, Household income, race/ethnicity and attitudinal and behavioral propensity scores.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Toluna surveys. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the online population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to participate in online survey research. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in Toluna surveys, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
Contact: Georgia Cassady
202-355-1947