By Martin Walker
Northern League club Newton Aycliffe are supporting a campaign urging football fans to watch their drinking during the European Championships.
Durham County Council’s ‘Win, Lose or Draw’ initiative is urging football fans to give the ‘morning after’ effect the red card during the Euro 2012 competition, which kicked off yesterday.
The message is part of a campaign aimed at reminding people that drinking too much while watching the match could still leave them unfit to drive the next morning.
It normally takes about an hour for the body to rid itself of one unit of alcohol but this can vary depending on factors including the health of the person and how much they’ve had to eat.
People are advised to not drink at all if they are driving later that day and to avoid heavy drinking if they are driving the following day.
Alan Kennedy, road safety section manager at Durham County Council, said: “We are running this campaign as part of our remit to reduce road casualties in County Durham.
“We want people to enjoy the Euro 2012 tournament and to keep in mind the need to remain safe on the roads – particularly the next day.
“We’re reminding people that if they’ve had a drink the day before, while they may not still be over the legal limit the next morning, they may still be feeling the effects of alcohol and be unfit to drive.”
GO TO OUR VIDEO VAULT TO SEE AN INTERVIEW WITH ALAN KENNEDY
Posters and leaflets will be on display in licensed premises, libraries and council customer access points across the county and people can also find information at www.morning-after.org.uk
■ Pictured above is Durham County Council’s road safety section manager Alan Kennedy with Aycliffe players Stuart Owen (left) and Darren Craddock at Moore Lane Park.
