News Releases
Video Room
Media Kits
Leadership
Publications
Image Library
Press Archives
2006 Archives
2005 Archives
"Great Party Guide" Offers Hosts Planning Tips for Joyous and Safe Holiday Celebrations
December 6, 2006
ST. LOUIS (Dec. 6, 2006) -- The holiday season is upon us, and party planning is in full swing. Whether it’s a small celebration with family and friends or a big to-do, hosts can enhance the merriment by ensuring guests get home safely at the end of the evening.
“Festive music and delicious food and drink are key elements of any holiday celebration, but being a responsible host can be the most important,” said John Kaestner, vice president of Consumer Affairs for Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc. “Making sure your friends have a safe ride home is the best gift you can give your loved ones during the holidays.” Follow these tips from Anheuser-Busch’s “Great Party Guide” to keep your festivities both fun and safe:
“According to our annual designated driver poll, more than 148 million American adults have been a designated driver or have used one,” adds Kaestner. “Thank you to everyone who is doing the ‘ride thing’ and keeping the roads safe during the holidays and year round.” Adults can thank their designated drivers by visiting www.whosyourbud.com and sending an electronic thank-you-card to show appreciation for their “buds” who volunteer to drive them home after a night out.
Drunk-driving fatalities nationwide continue to decline. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports a 39 percent decrease in drunk-driving fatalities since 1982. In addition, Christmas drunk-driving fatalities were 37 percent lower in 2005 than in 1982; and New Year’s Eve drunk-driving fatalities were 24 percent lower in 2005 than in 1982. Since 1982, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers have invested more than a half-billion dollars in a comprehensive portfolio of more than two dozen community-based programs and national advertising campaigns to promote responsibility and discourage alcohol abuse, including underage drinking and drunk driving. The company ranked first in the U.S. beverage industry for social responsibility in FORTUNE magazine’s 2005 “America’s Most Admired Companies” and first in the beverage industry worldwide for social responsibility on FORTUNE’s 2005 “Global Most Admired Companies” list. For more information about Anheuser-Busch’s responsible drinking programs, visit www.beeresponsible.com.
December 6, 2006
ST. LOUIS (Dec. 6, 2006) -- The holiday season is upon us, and party planning is in full swing. Whether it’s a small celebration with family and friends or a big to-do, hosts can enhance the merriment by ensuring guests get home safely at the end of the evening.
“Festive music and delicious food and drink are key elements of any holiday celebration, but being a responsible host can be the most important,” said John Kaestner, vice president of Consumer Affairs for Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc. “Making sure your friends have a safe ride home is the best gift you can give your loved ones during the holidays.” Follow these tips from Anheuser-Busch’s “Great Party Guide” to keep your festivities both fun and safe:
- Offer a variety of good foods with alcohol beverages. The web site www.herestobeer.com offers food and beer pairing suggestions.
- Offer non-alcohol beverages for the designated drivers, such as O’Doul’s, O’Doul’s Amber, 180, and where available, 180 Sport or 180 Blue with Acai.
- Serve each guest one drink at a time. Spacing drinks throughout a party can help guests stay within their personal limits. Never force drinks on anyone.
- Serve measured drinks. Unlike other alcohol beverages, beer and flavored malt beverages contain 4.2 to 6 percent alcohol by volume and come in standard-sized packages, so it’s easy for guests to keep track of how much they’re drinking.
- The amount of time during which an alcohol beverage is consumed greatly impacts how alcohol is absorbed into the body. Beer is widely recognized as a beverage of moderation.
- Stop serving alcohol beverages at least one hour before the party ends. Serve desserts and other foods, coffee and soft drinks. But remember, none of these eliminate alcohol from the body -- only the passage of time will do that.
- Encourage guests to designate a driver when they arrive. Call a cab or ask someone to spend the night if he or she may have had too much to drink.
“According to our annual designated driver poll, more than 148 million American adults have been a designated driver or have used one,” adds Kaestner. “Thank you to everyone who is doing the ‘ride thing’ and keeping the roads safe during the holidays and year round.” Adults can thank their designated drivers by visiting www.whosyourbud.com and sending an electronic thank-you-card to show appreciation for their “buds” who volunteer to drive them home after a night out.
Drunk-driving fatalities nationwide continue to decline. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports a 39 percent decrease in drunk-driving fatalities since 1982. In addition, Christmas drunk-driving fatalities were 37 percent lower in 2005 than in 1982; and New Year’s Eve drunk-driving fatalities were 24 percent lower in 2005 than in 1982. Since 1982, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers have invested more than a half-billion dollars in a comprehensive portfolio of more than two dozen community-based programs and national advertising campaigns to promote responsibility and discourage alcohol abuse, including underage drinking and drunk driving. The company ranked first in the U.S. beverage industry for social responsibility in FORTUNE magazine’s 2005 “America’s Most Admired Companies” and first in the beverage industry worldwide for social responsibility on FORTUNE’s 2005 “Global Most Admired Companies” list. For more information about Anheuser-Busch’s responsible drinking programs, visit www.beeresponsible.com.