Labatt's 5th Global Be(er) Responsible Day supports licensees' Duty of Care in serving alcohol

TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2014 /CNW/ - On Friday, September 19, Labatt employees across Canada will join 70,000 of their Anheuser-Busch InBev colleagues in more than 20 countries to take action for their fifth annual Global Be(er) Responsible Day. This year's event recognizes and underscores the importance of the critical role that licensees and their staff play in the responsible service of alcohol.

"Licensees and servers are at the front of the line in preventing immoderate and underage drinking," said Charlie Angelakos, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Labatt Breweries of Canada  "and they deserve our support and respect for helping to keep our communities healthy and safe."

On Be(er) Responsible Day, teams of Labatt employees will visit licensee establishments from coast to coast to share materials Labatt has developed to assist them in upholding their Duty of Care in the service of alcohol – from tips on educating staff on responsible service and effective ID checks to coasters thanking consumers for supporting their server if they are refused alcohol.  Additionally, Labatt employees will carry iPads and ask licensee to pledge, in real time, to review responsible service with their employees to help safeguard Canadians and our communities. 

"Our 5^th anniversary celebration of Global Be(er) Responsible Day shifts the emphasis to licensees for the first time ever, but the goal of engaging Canadians in the importance of responsible drinking is unchanged," said Angelakos.  "Canada is the clear North American leader and a global frontrunner in the responsible service of alcohol.  We want to recognize licensees and servers for all they do, and support them as they raise the bar ever higher." 

"At Labatt, we believe there has been real change as a result of responsible drinking programs like the ones we have pioneered over the past few decades, as well as evolving social perceptions in Canada," said Angelakos . "For example, according to Statistics Canada, between 1991 and 2013, the rate of alcohol-related impaired driving incidents or occurrences in Canada decreased by 55%.  With and emphasis on Duty of Care, legislated server training and other programs we believe that can be reduced further still."

Canada is the only country in North America to have legislated server training programs nationwide, and one of the few countries in the world to offer government-sponsored online accreditations and ongoing education. From BC's Serving It Right to Ontario's Smart Serve and to Newfoundland's It's Good Business: Responsible Service of Alcohol, every Canadian province has its own dedicated server training organization.

Since first launched in 2010, Be(er) Responsible Day has grown into perhaps Canada's and the world's most far-reaching responsible drinking initiative, with law enforcement, regulators, government, retailers, licensees, and consumers together taking action to raise awareness of the importance of drinking responsibly. Click here to learn more about Responsible Drinking at Labatt.

About Better World
Through our commitment to be the Best Beer Company Bringing People Together For a Better World, Labatt is the beer industry leader in social responsibility initiatives. Our Better World efforts focus on three pillars: promoting responsible drinking; protecting the environment; and giving back to the communities in which we live and work. Across Canada, we develop and implement social responsibility programs and campaigns in partnership with government officials, community organizations, retailers, parents and others. From promoting responsible drinking messages in arenas and venues through the Budweiser Good Sport program, to achieving a recycling rate of 98% in our six national breweries, to volunteering in the community and our Canadian Disaster Relief Program, Labatt and its employees are committed to making a difference.

SOURCE: Labatt Breweries of Canada

Laura Ballantyne, Veritas Communications Inc., [email protected], 416-955-4591; Lorraine Doherty, Labatt Breweries of Canada, [email protected], 416-361-5247