A new campaign is being launched in Enniskillen today, Thursday, December 7, to highlight the particular risks of driving the morning after drinking alcohol for the over 50s.
Drink Wise, Age Well – which helps people to make healthier choices about alcohol as they age – has teamed up with PSNI and Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSP) to mount the campaign as almost one in five people convicted of drink driving in Northern Ireland last year were aged 50+.
Chairperson Stephen Mc Cann from Fermanagh and Omagh District, the PSNI, PCSP and campaign partners including Modern Tyre Service will gather at their Enniskillen service centre on Thursday to mark the start of this ambitious project in the Fermanagh area.
The campaign features a short video following the fortunes of Bob who has enjoyed a night in the pub with friends and gets up the next morning and drives while still under the influence of alcohol.
The video shows Bob leaving the pub at midnight after binge drinking five pints of lager and that it takes approximately 11.5 hours for our bodies to process that amount. At 8.30am the next morning he therefore still has enough alcohol in his blood to fail a breathalyser, which he does.
Although drink driving is a risk to anyone who drives, the campaign urges older people to be extra careful as changes in our body as we age mean the over 50s can take longer to process alcohol than the approximately one hour to one unit of alcohol rough guidance given to drivers of all ages.
Joanne Cregan, Drink Wise, Age Well Manager for the Western Trust area, said, “As we approach the festive period, we wanted to highlight that there are particular risks we face when we drive after a night’s drinking. These can increase as we age, as the way in which we process alcohol changes. And we may not take the time to think about the morning after or the risks we still pose to ourselves or other road users.”
PSNI Road Education Officer, Constable Trevor Kirke explained ‘Our message is very simple; Never EVER drink and drive. Just one drink can impair your decision making. Just one drink can cause a collision. Just one drink could kill’. PSNI figures show that a fifth of all people convicted of drink driving in Northern Ireland last year were aged 50 or over. We are delighted to be working with Drink Wise, Age Well on this campaign, which we hope will ensure everyone has a safer Christmas on the roads.”
NIFRS Thomas Barr, Assistant Group Commander commented that “So far this year our Firefighters have attended over 600 road traffic collisions and rescued over 400 people trapped in their vehicles. Sadly they witness first-hand the carnage on our roads and the lives completely destroyed as a consequence of irresponsible road user behaviour. We would appeal to all road users to obey the law and to avoid any actions that would distract them from safe driving”
The video can be seen at www.drinkwiseagewell.org.uk from December 5, and is being supported by newspapers adverts, information stands, ad shells and billboards in the WHSCT area.
Binge drinking is commonly defined  as consuming more than six units of alcohol in a single session for men and women.
 Six units is equivalent to drinking between:
•Two and three standard glasses (175ml) of 13 per cent strength wine
•Two and three pints of 4 per cent strength beer
The Chief Medical Officer recommends that to keep health risks at low level adults should limit their intake of alcohol to no more than 14 units per week, spread over three days or more.