Remember the 'morning after' drinking

Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar and An Garda Siochána have given their support to the drinkaware.ie/RSA 'Morning After' Campaign. As the Christmas party season gets into full swing this weekend, drinkaware.ie is encouraging people to pace their drinking and to remember the morning after. Drinkaware.ie chief executive, Fionnuala Sheehan said: "The reality is it takes your body about one hour to get rid of one standard drink - that's a glass of beer or cider, a small glass of wine, or a pub measure of spirits. So if you are drinking on a night out this Christmas, you might still be over the legal limit the next morning. "The message from drinkaware.ie is to take responsibility for your drinking. Do the maths and if you suspect that you might not be okay to drive, then make alternative arrangements." added Ms Sheehan. "Public transport will operate over much of the festive season and if this isn't an option for you, plan ahead and designate a driver or book a taxi." Drinkaware.ie is encouraging people to pace their drinking over the festive season. "Interspersing alcoholic drinks with water or soft drinks will slow down the pace of your drinking and help you to drink moderately. It will also help you to remain well hydrated and you'll be more likely to keep track of how many alcoholic drinks you're consuming," Ms Sheehan added. Noel Brett, CEO of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) said: "The RSA is delighted to partner with drinkaware.ie again this year to highlight the danger of drink driving the morning after. Drink driving is drink driving no matter what time of the day it is, however it is important to make drivers aware of the fact that they may, unknowingly, be unfit to drive the morning after a night drinking. As the campaign says, if you have been drinking the night before the only cure is time." Assistant Commissioner Gerard Philips said: "We obviously do not wish to hamper anyone's enjoyment over the festive period but we must remind every driver that wherever they socialise and consume alcohol, whether it be in a bar or a house, the same enforcement and now lower, drink driving limits apply. We appeal to every driver to ensure they are completely alcohol free before they think about driving any vehicle, no matter what time of the day or night it may be. Never risk guessing your alcohol content, it could prove very costly if you are wrong. If you're in doubt, don't drive and find an alternative means of travelling." If you are entertaining at home over the Christmas period, remember that your measures may be more generous than those in the pub. Simple tips, like investing in a spirit measure and waiting until your guests have finished their drinks before offering a refill, helps everyone keep track of how much they are drinking, There are many public transport options and a designated driver scheme available over the festive season: Irish Rail DART and InterCity services will operate over the festive season with the exception of Christmas Day and St. Stephen's Day. Most services will terminate by 21.00hrs approx. on Christmas Eve. Check www.irishrail.ie for further information. Dublin Bus Dublin Bus services will operate over the festive season with the exception of Christmas Day. Services will operate until 9pm on Christmas Eve with a Sunday schedule on St. Stephen's Day. There will be Nitelink services on certain days over the festive period. Visit www.dublinbus.ie for details Bus Eireann There will be extended late night services in Cork and the greater Dublin area over the Christmas period. There will be no services on Christmas Day. Visit www.buseireann.ie for details Coca Cola Designated Driver Campaign Designated drivers can enjoy up to three free drinks in participating venues this Christmas. Visit www.designateddriver.ie for details. Hailo Taxi drinkaware.ie have partnered with Hailo Taxi to distribute over €500,000 worth of free taxi vouchers to people this Christmas. The vouchers for €5 off your taxi home are available in pubs, bars and restaurants across Dublin throughout December.