Alcohol industry, civil society team-up against drink driving in Malaysia

Multi-sectoral, whole-of-society effort on social media aims to boost public awareness on risks of drink driving

Kuala Lumpur, 5th April 2022 - In the Asia Pacific region, up to 2,000 people die each day in road collisions—30% involve alcohol consumption as a contributing factor, and those highest at risk are young adults.

In Malaysia, stiffer penalties against driving under the influence of alcohol were introduced through amendments in the Road Transport Act in mid-2020, But while enforcement measures are a crucial component in efforts to address drink driving, it has to come hand in hand with an increase in the public’s understanding in road safety awareness. Ultimately, road safety is a shared responsibility between the government, civil society, the private sector as well as the public.

MIROS sees the “Power of No” campaign as one of the efforts to prove the seriousness of the Government towards alleviating the issue of driving while under influence. It is hoped that the successful collaboration between APISWA, AAV and the countries involved will drive the effectiveness of this campaign towards increasing the public awareness and understanding of the dangers concerning this issue.

With the endorsement of the Ministry of Transport, EUROCHAM Malaysia, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) and its implementing partner, the Automobile Association of Vietnam (AAV), are launching the “Power of No”, a collaborative digital public awareness campaign to cultivate responsible behaviour and to encourage a ‘no drink-driving’ mindset. This initiative is targeted at young adults of legal drinking age between 21 to 30 years old in Malaysia.

The “Power of No” is being led across the region by the Asia Pacific International Spirits and Wines Alliance (APISWA), with support from the US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) and the EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC). This six-week, ground-breaking initiative aims to target ten (10) million young adults of legal drinking age in Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia via digital and social media platforms starting March 28. This regional effort seeks to raise awareness on the consequences of drunk driving, and to steer young adults towards making responsible choices.

“EUROCHAM Malaysia fully supports the Power of No campaign here in Malaysia to increase awareness of responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages and certainly the conscious decision to not drink and drive. Considering the concerns by the authorities in Malaysia about driving under the influence of alcohol, the chamber hopes that this and similar campaigns help to educate people and change their behaviour for the benefit and safety of all road users”, explained EUROCHAM Malaysia CEO, Sven Schneider.

To learn more about the “Power of No”, visit the campaign’s Facebook page or website.