OB leads campaigns against drunk driving

OB CEO Bruno Cosentino, fifth from left in the front row, poses for a photo with Road Traffic Authority (KoRoad) officials and police officers at KoRoad in Seoul, Jan. 22. Courtesy of OB

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Oriental Brewery (OB) will take the lead in promoting healthy and responsible drinking culture, fully complying with the government's tougher law against drunk driving, the company said Tuesday.

Under the revised law, which came into effect on June 25, a driver's license will be suspended if their blood-alcohol concentration is 0.03 percent or higher and will be revoked when the level is 0.08 percent or higher.

In 2016, OB signed a memorandum of understanding with the Road Traffic Authority (KoRoad) to promote a nationwide campaign to warn drivers of the dangers of drunk driving and to improve traffic safety.

OB employees have conducted a campaign against drunk driving at the Driver's License Examination Office in Gangnam, southern Seoul. They also awarded prizes to police officers who contributed to reducing alcohol-related accidents.

Apart from its partnerships, the brewery has been carrying out a campaign called “Global Beer Responsible Day” annually on the third Friday in September in major cities since 2014.

It is aimed at reducing the side effects of excessive drinking and establishing a healthier drinking culture, according to OB.

Anheuser-Busch (AB) InBev, the parent company of OB, first introduced the campaign in 2010, and now famous international breweries such as Carlsberg and Heineken have started their own campaigns.

The Korea unit of OB also runs a play named “Family Talk” to prevent teenage drinking, depicting a conversation between parents and children to discourage underage alcohol consumption. The company said the realistic plot and important lessons have led the play to be well-received by both parents and teenagers.

“As the nation's leading brewery, we will continue to establish a healthy and responsible drinking culture,” an OB official said “We will try our best to make a better world, where we can resolve social problems and enable the growth of both companies and local communities.”

OB currently holds the highest market share in the Korean beer market, hovering above 60 percent.