AS YOU MAY be aware, it’s Arthur’s Day and that is sure to see plenty of people out enjoying themselves in the spirit of the man who gave us Guinness later today but drinkaware.ie is urging people to drink safely and responsibly.
The organisation, which is sponsored by the drinks industry, is calling on pubs and venues to serve alcohol to their customers responsibly tonight pointing out that if you are starting at 17:59 (it was the year in which Arthur started brewing) then it could be a long evening.
“Recent studies have shown that although Irish people drink less often than our European counterparts, we tend to drink too much and too fast when we do,” Drink Aware’s Fionnuala Sheehan said.
“Slowing down and pacing yourself – having food and water between drinks, for example – allows you to enjoy the night’s events for longer, and to wake up feeling refreshed and hydrated the next day.”
Tips include making sure you eat and have a “decent meal” and not just bags of crisps between drinks. Avoid rounds as not everyone drinks at the same pace and if you do have rounds limit it to two or three people.
Speaking of which you should also pace yourself and spread your drinks over the course of the evening instead of trying to keep up with the fastest drinker.
You should have a glass of water between alcohol drinks which will keep you refreshed and hydrated and make the next day a bit easier.
Make sure to take your time and enjoy the day to its full while the morning after, in this case Friday, even if you feel fine you may be over the limit for driving, so don’t as your body gets rid of roughly one standard drink per hour.
In further advice for publicans and licensed venues, Sheehan says that they should implement a “responsible serving policy”.
“Licensees might consider providing a few small extras to help people pace their drinking. [They] may even think about offering free snacks around mealtimes, as many people may be coming from work on an empty stomach,” she added.
“Having tap water available also allows customers to refresh themselves, and to give their bodies time to deal with any alcohol they may already have drunk.”
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