Pernod Ricard USA and Partner Organizations Launch Comprehensive “Safe Night” Program Aimed at Reducing Alcohol Misuse
Pilot Program – Developed In Collaboration with Responsibility.Org, 24HourDallas and Safe Night LLC – Targeted for Expansion Into Other U.S. Cities

Yahoo! Finance
PRNewswire
December 8, 2021

NEW YORK, Dec. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Pernod Ricard USA is pleased to announce a comprehensive, community-based pilot program launched today in Dallas that aims to create safer nights out through a variety of measures, including reducing binge drinking and impaired driving, and improving safety for women.

The Dallas-based “Good Neighbor Initiative” is intended to be a model for a national “Safe Night” program that can be expanded into other U.S. cities based on the successes and learnings from Dallas. It was developed in collaboration with Responsibility.org, a U.S. leader in the fight against drunk driving, underage drinking, and the promotion of responsible drinking; Safe Night LLC, creator of programs aimed at improving municipal safety; and 24HourDallas, a grassroots organization dedicated to improving the city’s nighttime profile.

“As a founding member of Responsibility.org, we’ve learned that the most effective way to reduce alcohol misuse in the U.S. is through a holistic approach attacking both its systemic causes and after-effects,” said Tara Engel, Vice President, Public and National Affairs, Pernod Ricard USA. “The Safe Night” pilot does just that — it’s a partnership with multiple stakeholders — including the Police, City Council, Restaurant Owners, Bar Owners, bar and Restaurant staff, community leaders, cultural ambassadors and more–who all are committed to providing a safer night out.”

Darrin Grondel, Vice President, Government Relations and Traffic Safety at Responsibility.org, said the Safe Night pilot is based in part on the successful Arlington (Va.) Restaurant Initiative implemented in collaboration with Safe Night LLC founders Jim Mastoras, a retired Arlington County police officer, and his partner Molly Mastoras, a licensed professional counselor. “In just a few years, crime was down significantly, restaurants were working together and recognized by Arlington County as responsible business partners, and — most importantly — customers were safer as a result of this initiative,” Grondel said.

Randall White, Founder and Board President, 24-Hour Dallas, said the pilot Safe Night program will deliver never-before used approaches in North Texas to foster better relationships between Dallas’ nighttime businesses and their neighbors.

Key elements of the initiative include:

• SAFE NIGHT OUT — Building collaboration between nighttime businesses and municipal departments so a city’s nighttime becomes safer and more vibrant.
• EVERY VOICE — Educating nighttime business owners on how to avoid discrimination and exclusion when they hire staff and host guests.
• SIDEWALK AMBASSADORS — Mobilizing faith leaders and individuals of goodwill to quell potential conflict within a Dallas entertainment district.
• COPPER STAR CERTIFICATION — Honoring nighttime businesses that have taken extraordinary steps to be safe, welcoming, and respectful of their neighbors.

In addition to reducing alcohol misuse and promoting nighttime safety, the initiative is intended to help improve code and ordinance compliance and curtail human and sex trafficking, White said.

Camilla Guiguer, Director, Sustainability and Responsibility for Pernod Ricard North America, said the measurable reduction in binge drinking expected to result from the Good Neighbor Initiative in Dallas is consistent with the company’s belief in “Responsible Hosting,” which is a key pillar of Pernod Ricard’s Global Sustainability and Responsibility roadmap, ‘Good Times from a Good Place.’ “We want to help ensure that adults of a legal drinking age who choose to drink do so in a way that does not harm themselves or others,” Guiguer said. “This goal is consistent with our company’s mission to be “Creators of Conviviality” – to unlock the magic of human connection during moments celebrated with our brands. There can be no true conviviality without responsibility.”