Brewer backs drink drive clampdown

Innis & Gunn is backing Scotland’s introduction of a lower drink drive limit with a campaign showing its lager label tweaked to read “Innis & None”.

Coming into effect from this Friday, 5 December, the new maximum blood alcohol level for drivers will be 50mg/100ml down from the previous limit of 80mg.

However, the Edinburgh-based brewer’s message goes a step further, reminding drivers that it is best to abstain completely. In addition to promotional posters, the label will also appear on beer mats in outlets serving Innis & Gunn, as well as featuring at events organised by the Scottish government and social media channels managed by Road Safety Scotland as part of a wider national campaign.

Announcing the initiative, Innis & Gunn founder and CEO Dougal Sharp said: “We feel it’s important to help spread the word that the new drink drive limit is so low that even one drink risks pushing you over the legal limit.

“In supporting this initiative we want to prompt people to think and act differently; whether it’s getting on a bus, jumping in a taxi, calling Scoot or having a designated driver. Just make sure you plan ahead, be safe, and let the good times roll.”

Gwen Hamilton, team leader for Safer Scotland Marketing, welcomed the impact of an alcoholic drink producer lending its support to this government initiative as “a real sign of the times”.

She commented: “The support from Innis & Gunn is particularly significant as it allows us to reach people in a pub environment who might be tempted to have a drink before driving home.”