Quebec alcohol awareness organization Éduc’alcool launched a new educational campaign on Monday aimed at helping the public make healthy and safe drinking choices during the holidays.
The campaign, launched on the organization’s website, lists 10 tips to help Quebecers make more informed decisions with regards to drinking. This comes after the drive-home service Nez Rouge cancelled its operations this year due to the COVID-19 gathering restrictions in Quebec.
Some of Éduc’alcool’s 10 tips include if you are feeling depressed, anxious or lonely, turn to someone you can speak to and not to alcohol, don’t drink on an empty stomach, alternate drinking an alcoholic beverage with water so you stay hydrated and don’t overdrink, drink slowly and enjoy — no chugging.
The tips also reinforce that no means no — if someone says no or no more, don’t insist and respect their boundaries.
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The organization is also asking the government to step up police presence on roads and to increase the number of police sobriety checkpoints.
“Eighteen to 20 per cent of Quebecers have increased their drinking during the pandemic,” Hubert Sacy, director of the organization, told Global News.
Sacy said he wanted to remind people that alcohol is not a solution for the stress of the pandemic and that they should turn to other, healthier coping mechanisms.
More stats and information regarding the campaign and Quebecers’ drinking habits can be found here.