Photo: Courtesy of Pernod Ricard China

 
On a mission to inspire university students to engage in advocating "No Drink-Driving" and to raise public awareness about road safety, Pernod Ricard China successfully concluded its inaugural "Autosobriety Challenge" that was co-hosted by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and other organizations on Friday. 

The challenge received a total of 170 works from students at 126 universities and colleges in China, including Peking University, Tsinghua University and Shanghai Tongji University. 

As the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits, Pernod Ricard has been committed to reducing alcohol-related traffic fatalities and injuries for years. Pernod Ricard China has been focusing on topics including "No Drink-Driving," "Moderate Drinking," and "No Underage Drinking" and carrying out activities that expose consumers to the concept of "Responsible Drinking." 

Inspiration for young generation 

As college students are gradually becoming an important group among China's drivers, the "Autosobriety Challenge" aims to help young people improve their road safety literacy and enable them to explore creative solutions that help prevent drink-driving.

Nearly 800 college students received online assessment and offline training, while 387 of them developed their own training kits for creative education based on how alcohol affects the human body and driving performance, the legal consequences of drinking and driving in China, and strategies to prevent drink-driving.  

The students' works were evaluated by a jury composed of representatives from the Publicity Office of the Shanghai Traffic Police Department, UNITAR, Pernod Ricard, Pernod Ricard China, China Communication Television Broadcasting Network, and the Research Center for Digital Economy of Communication University of China. 

The first prize was awarded to a team from Jiangnan University. The winning video depicts how a man driving to a dinner party handles a situation where his friend encourages him to drink.

Photo: Courtesy of Pernod Ricard China

 
Through dramatic performances, the video portrays the dilemmas drivers often encounter and how a sense of family responsibility ultimately overcomes the desire to drink and drive, said Fu Zhonghao, a member of the winning team and a first-year graduate student at the School of Design of Jiangnan University. 

The team was impressed by the efforts made by Pernod Ricard China in advocating responsible behavior in alcohol consumption. "As a world-renowned wine business with a long history, Pernod Ricard is educating young drivers by hosting the 'Autosobriety Challenge,'" he said. 

"As a participant of the 'No Drink Driving' training program, I felt the passion and sincerity of Pernod Ricard China in empowering young people, and their commitment to having a key role in advocating 'Responsible Drinking,'" Fu said on Friday. 

"Responsible drinking is the pre-condition for conviviality. Young people are not only key drivers-to-be, but also among the most creative in society, so engaging them in the 'Autosobriety Challenge' and making them ambassadors of responsible driving will undoubtedly bring about far-reaching results," said Jerome Cottin-Bizonne, managing director of Pernod Ricard China. 

Commitment to sustainability

The "Autosobriety Challenge" is part of the efforts of Pernod Ricard China that are aligned with the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 initiated by the World Health Organization, which aims to prevent at least 50 percent of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. 

"Significant progress on road safety can be achieved through global cooperation and engagement with all actors, especially the youth. The Autosobriety Challenge has allowed us to engage with students from different universities in China and contribute innovative approaches to further educate the public on the dangers of drinking and driving. Taking individual action to save lives on the world's roads has been the key objective of this creative challenge," said Estrella Merlos, global head of UNITAR's Road Safety Initiative.

Leading the way among international wine and spirits groups in China, Pernod Ricard maintains its commitment to contributing to China's sustainable development as the company continues to enjoy healthy growth in the country. 

As illustrated by its 2030 roadmap supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Pernod Ricard emphasizes creating a better way to live and work together to bring good times today and for generations to come. 

It is also the only wine and spirits company that has been recognized as a UN Global Compact LEAD participant for their work on the SDGs. In Shanghai, Pernod Ricard China was again recognized as the Shanghai Traffic Safety Public Service Partner at the "5•25" Traffic Safety Day. 

"Pernod Ricard will continue to work closely with all stakeholders, including industry partners and government authorities, to advocate more responsible behavior in alcohol consumption, thereby creating a world of both conviviality and responsibility that all can enjoy," said Cottin-Bizonne.