Pernod Ricard Nigeria has begun a campaign against drink-drink in Nigeria, tagged ‘Safe Roads’ especially this yuletide period when many people are expected to travel.
The campaign is a part of the organisation’s Sustainability and Responsibility roadmap under its responsible hosting pillar, which aims at fighting alcohol misuse in society by acting on harmful drinking. The campaign initiative, which is targeted at commercial drivers, was introduced recently in Lagos, with a sensitization seminar at the Ojota New Garage bus park in Lagos.
The Campaign launch saw representatives of Pernod Ricard Nigeria sensitize commercial drivers on the dangers of drinking and driving, especially as more people commute intra/interstate for the festive season. Representatives from the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), were also present at the event.
The drivers were also educated on the factors that affect how alcohol is processed in the body, the amount of alcohol in popular drinks, and the time it takes for the body to process a unit of alcohol. They also examined statistics of accidents caused by drunk driving and the fatality rates.
Speaking at the event, Sola Oke, managing director, Pernod Ricard Western Africa, stated that as an organisation, they are committed to ensuring that customers understand the need for responsible drinking and the dangers associated with alcohol misuse specifically for drivers.
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“As we are all aware, road traffic injuries and deaths have become one of the growing public health problems in Nigeria. Among the causes of road accidents is driving under the influence of alcohol, also called drink-driving. It is basically the misuse of alcohol and it is a major risk factor for road accidents. It is against this background that we at Pernod Ricard Nigeria have decided to kick-start this initiative.
The campaign is being implemented in partnership with the FRSC, with the aim of helping our drivers understand the negative effects of alcohol misuse, and to promote responsible and positive choices especially in this festive season where a lot of us would be traveling out of Lagos to various places and putting our lives in the hands of our drivers” he said.
In admonishing the commercial drivers at the event, assistant state commander, NDLEA Lagos Command, Titilope Ogunluyi stated, “Our drivers are very important, because the lives of passengers are in their hands while they drive. As we know, alcohol is meant to be for pleasure and socializing, not when we’re at work. Even then, it is supposed to be taken in moderation, which varies from individual to individual. We are therefore appealing to our drivers, to abstain totally from alcohol while driving.”
The zonal commanding officer FRSC, Anthony Daudu commented on the necessity of responsible driving and road safety for all. He said, “Driving is a very serious business, which is why the FRSC has made it mandatory that if you must start driving, then you must be trained for it; so that you do not cause colossal damage to yourself and to others. I think this is a very timely and laudable campaign, and the FRSC is in total support of this program.”
Also speaking at the event, Akin-George Fashola representing Lagos State commissioner for transportation, expressed his gratitude to Pernod Ricard, and urged other corporate bodies to emulate the actions of Pernod Ricard.
