PRESS RELEASE CONTACT: Christine Margalis, (440) 350-2879
October 21, 2011 LAKE COUNTY GENERAL HEALTH DISTRICT
FREE SOFT DRINKS FOR DESIGNATED DRIVERS HALLOWEEN WEEKEND AT
PARTICIPATING DOWNTOWN WILLOUGHBY BARS
The scariest parts of Halloween aren’t the spooky costumes or goofy pranks. It’s the fact that too often, impaired drivers don’t plan ahead and end up making the roads a scary place. That’s why the Lake County Safe Communities Coalition and the Downtown Willoughby Bar & Restaurant Association are encouraging party-goers to plan ahead this Halloween weekend and identify a designated driver before the party starts. When patrons visit a participating bar or restaurant in downtown Willoughby during Halloween weekend, they will see posters reminding them to designate a sober driver for the evening. Upon identifying themselves at participating bar, the designated driver will be rewarded with non-alcoholic beverages for the time they are there.
Impaired driving is one of America’s most-often-committed crimes. In 2009, 390 Ohio residents, including two in Lake County, were killed in traffic crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter or higher. Halloween is a particularly deadly night due to the large number of drunk drivers on the roads. In 2009, 48% of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night involved a driver or motorcycle rider with a BAC of .08g/dL or higher.
"Drunk driving is a concern of every bar owner" says John Bowers, owner of Mullarkey's Irish Pub and president of the Downtown Willoughby (DTW) Bar and Restaurant Association. "The DTW Bar and Restaurant Association wants to encourage the use of designated drivers any way we can. We feel providing free non-alcoholic beverages to recognized designated drivers is one way we can help."
Here are a few simple tips to insure everyone has a fun evening and gets home safe:
- Plan a safe way home before festivities begin;
- Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
- If you’re impaired, take a taxi or call a sober friend or family member for a ride home;
- If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to call 1-800-GRAB-DUI or 1-800-472-2384;
- If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them find arrangements to get where they are going safely.
The Lake County Safe Communities Coalition consists of law enforcement, fire safety educators, and other concerned organizations that work to reduce traffic-related deaths in Lake County. Priority areas include impaired driving, seatbelt usage and motorcycle safety. The DTW Bar and Restaurant Association is an organization formed by the Bars and Restaurants of Downtown Willoughby to further the growth and development of the Downtown Willoughby area. This is done through a cooperative effort along with the Downtown Willoughby Merchants Association, The Heart of Willoughby and the City of Willoughby for the overall growth, development and ultimate success of the unique Downtown Willoughby Area. ###