Client News > Release

20-07-2010

DRINK RESPONSIBLY AND RESPECT DIVERSITY OF CULTURES CELEBRATED AT THIS WEEKEND’S DLR FESTIVAL OF WORLD CULTURES

DRINKAWARE.IE AND DLR FESTIVAL OF WORLD CULTURES LAUNCH MOBILE SITE

As Dún Laoghaire gets set to celebrate world cultures this weekend, drinkaware.ie is reminding people to respect the ethos of the festival by drinking responsibly.

Speaking in advance of the Festival, drinkaware.ie Chief Executive Fionnuala Sheehan said “the festival incorporates an extraordinary diversity of different cultures and faiths, I would encourage people to respect their fellow visitors, many of whom are from different cultures where alcohol does not form part of society, by taking responsibility for their drinking.”

This year drinkaware.ie has partnered with festival organisers to develop a mobile site to help festival-goers make the most of their weekend. The site, which will be available from Friday morning, has been developed for Safari (webkit) and Opera (presto) mobile browsers to ensure maximum compatibility across a broad range of internet-ready mobile devices. The mobile site will allow audiences to access event listings by time and venue, transport information, the latest festival news plus helpful drinkaware.ie tips on responsible drinking.

To access the site simply type www.festivalofworldcultures.com into the browser of your mobile phone

Festival Marketing Manager Jennifer Jennings said: "The dlr Festival of World Cultures is Ireland's best loved family Festival and in this, our 10 year Anniversary, we are encouraging audiences to engage in a deeper way with events over the weekend. The mobile site will facilitate more and better experiences per visit for audiences, while underscoring the message about respect for different cultures and differing attitudes towards alcohol. We are delighted to be partnering with drinkaware.ie to realise this initiative"

Ms. Sheehan added “We are also delighted that the winning film from this year’s DARE2BDRINKAWARE competition will be shown on screens over the course of the weekend. DARE2BDRINKAWARE is a student competition sponsored by drinkaware.ie, aimed at highlighting young people’s attitudes to alcohol in Ireland. This year’s winning film was made by a team of students from Senior College Dún Laoghaire”, commented Ms. Sheehan.

Here are some simple hints and tips to ensure safe and responsible drinking at the festival:

EAT. Nothing makes drinking a disaster more than an empty stomach. Try to eat a decent meal before you start drinking, or sample some of the tasty treats at the festival food stalls. This will really help soak up the alcohol.

WATER. Make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Alcohol will seriously dehydrate you and sun (even a clouded sun) will make it worse.

SET YOUR PACE. Caught up in the festival atmosphere it can be very easy to get involved in a round that doesn’t suit you. Don’t let someone else set your drinking pace. Try to avoid getting involved in a round in the first place, or ask for a soft drink every other round.

NO STRANGE MIXERS. Don’t accept a drink from a stranger or leave yours unattended – you never know what you’re getting or what could have been put in it.

THE MORNING AFTER. Take advantage of the great public transport links to get you to and from the festival but don’t forget the morning after. Remember even if you feel fine the morning after drinking, you may not be fit to drive. Your body gets rid of roughly one standard drink- that’s half a pint or a small glass of wine or a pub measure of spirits – per hour. No amount of coffee, water or energy drinks can speed up this process. They might make you feel better, but they won’t make you any more sober! Our advice to people attending the event is to plan ahead, not drink and drive, and most importantly, when drinking, to drink responsibly.

drinkaware.ie banners will be displayed around the festival site. Posters encouraging people to alternative their alcoholic drinks with water will also be displayed above all water stations.

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