April 6, 2004

Beer Store Ends Relationship With MADD Canada

You can no longer support MADD Canada’s programs and victim services by leaving a donation at the Beer Store. The Beer Store has ended its long-standing relationship with MADD Canada and pulled the charity’s coin boxes and red ribbons from their retail stores. MADD Canada cites a difference of opinion over policy as the reason why the Beer Store has closed its doors to them, stating that MADD Canada’s impaired driving policies are incompatible with the policy direction taken by the brewing industry.

MADD Canada has presented the Federal Government with a comprehensive legislative reform agenda and has been persistently urging new impaired driving legislation since Fall 2001. Central to this legislative reform agenda is the combined policies of lowering of the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) legal limit from 0.08% to 0.05% BAC, and enhancing police powers to better enforce impaired driving laws. MADD Canada’s aggressive campaign to see new federal legislation has prompted the Beer Store to end its sponsor relationship.

“The Beer Store could not live with our aggressively pursuing our policy agenda,” says Andrew Murie, MADD Canada’s National Executive Director. “The legislative package we have before the federal government is designed to significantly decrease the numbers of impaired driving incidents and prevent the loss of lives and injuries on our roads. We are arguing for the most effective set of legislative changes so as to reduce impaired driving fatalities – and we’re not going to be silenced by sponsors who would rather we be less persistent in our pursuits to alter government policies,” adds Mr. Murie.

Mr. Murie was critical of the beer industry’s current thinking of what will work in the fight against drinking and driving. “We are very disappointed by the beer industry’s tact with their social responsibility policies. Brewers would rather have governments spend money on public education programs and advertising campaigns – initiatives that have not proven effective enough in realizing a significant difference through the years,” says Mr. Murie.

Mr. Murie explains the focus of MADD Canada’s policy agenda. “MADD Canada policies aim at changing drivers’ habits and behaviours when it comes to drinking. We would rather a person not drink and drive, and we hope to reduce the risk to all motorists, by making our country’s laws more effective in the apprehension and charging of those who drink too much and then drive. At the end of the day, we want to see less impaired driving crashes and less Canadians being killed and injured because of impaired driving.”

Mr. Murie states MADD Canada’s policy to reduce the BAC will save lives by ensuring people will drink less before getting in behind the wheel of a vehicle. The policy to enhance police powers will ensure a more effective and efficient enforcement of impaired driving laws. For detailed information on MADD Canada policies, visit its website at www.madd.ca

For further information, call:

Andrew Murie, National Executive Director 1-800-665-6233

Also see -

Taking Back Our Roads