Alcoholic beverages should only be enjoyed in moderation, as part of a balanced lifestyle, by those adults who choose to drink. The spirits sector has long promoted this goal towards its consumers and will continue to work with all relevant stakeholders to achieve it.
The responsibledrinking.eu website, and the 26 national information websites it links to, is intended to help consumers work out how much is too much, and to weigh up the pros and cons when deciding whether or not to drink.
Moderate alcohol consumption is compatible with a healthy lifestyle. The “Moderation by numbers” section offers information to consumers on what the low-risk drinking guidelines are for healthy adult men and women (i.e. consumption at a level where acute and chronic risks are similar to abstainers). It also includes warning of the danger of heavy drinking episodes which is associated with increased risk of a range of health and social harms, including damage to your internal organs, accidents and injuries, and difficulties in functioning positively in family, work and community.
It explains why zero consumption is a must in a number of circumstances such as for minors, when driving or when pregnant and breastfeeding or under medication. The website also provides “Tips & Tricks” for consumers to make their drinking occasion one to remember and not one to forget! (see our call to “Stay safe, stay moderate”)
In order to measure up, the website helps consumers to assess how much ethanol is in a “drink”, a “unit” or a “standard drink”. As the measure differs between countries, depending on culture and tradition, we invite consumers to visit their national consumer information website and use the “drinks calculator” to stay within moderate consumption. Our products are made with love and care and they should be enjoyed with love and care!
The website also provides the list of ingredients (including information on the agricultural origin of the distillate) for all the 44 spirit categories as well as calorie information per 100ml and standard drink. This is the 1st step of our industry commitment, i.e., the information will be readily available on labels and/or online for all the products by the end of 2022.
In 2020, a new section was added to responsibledrinking.eu to stay safe during the COVID crisis with tips during lockdown and safety instructions in hospitality sector. Last but not least, a quiz was added to the website for consumers to test their knowledge.
This European portal is complemented by information websites developed by individual producers and national federations. They are promoted through their labels, point of sale material and advertising.
The website responsibledrinking.eu has about 2500-3000 active users each month, with more than 50% of the traffic generated from referrals from spiritsEurope members’ commercial websites.
