(NAPSI)—A company that once encouraged beer drinkers to “know when to say when” has launched a new effort to promote responsible drinking.

The Anheuser-Busch website—NationofResponsibleDrinkers.com—uses social media to encourage adults to pledge to drink responsibly. The pledge is threefold:

• Respect the legal drinking age

• Enjoy responsibly and know when to say when

• Be or use a designated driver.

Each pledge is populated on an interactive map, showing those who have taken the pledge in their communities, along with their photos or avatars. Adults taking the pledge can also share their commitment through Facebook and encourage friends to do the same. The campaign also includes billboards, point-of-sale materials and other resources.

“With close to half a billion adults on Facebook, we see an enormous opportunity to expand our reach to newer generations of adult drinkers—most of whom came of age after ‘Know When to Say When’ and our earlier responsible drinking campaigns,” said Kathy Casso, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility for Anheuser-Busch. “We’re looking to the future of alcohol responsibility, and we see the potential in social media and its ability to bring together adults and encourage them to make smart choices.”

Since ‘Know When to Say When’ debuted in 1982, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers have invested more than $930 million in advertising and community-based programs that promote responsible drinking and prevent underage drinking and drunk driving.

The latest government data shows that drunk-driving fatalities fell to their lowest level since alcohol record-keeping began in 1982 (52 percent decline from 1982 to 2010).

“We’ve made significant progress in the past three decades, but there’s more we can do. That’s why we encourage adults to pledge and join the Nation of Responsible Drinkers,” Casso added.

To take the pledge, visit NationofResponsibleDrinkers.com.

 

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)