‘Would a sober you…?’ campaign launched to help ensure people stay safe on a night out

A poster campaign to help remind drinkers to take simple steps to ensure they stay safe on a night out has been launched in conjunction with North Wales Police and Wetherspoon.

The ‘Would a sober you’ posters are being rolled out to all the pubs across the region as part of the force’s #ChooseWisely campaign to ensure everybody has a safe and enjoyable Christmas.

The posters, which will be displayed in the toilets and on noticeboards, are asking people if they would go somewhere without planning their journey home, or put themselves in danger by walking home in an unfit state.

They also contain advice such as ensuring their mobile phone is charged, that they have enough money and that they tell someone where they are and that they look after their friends.

Temporary Chief Inspector Dave Cust of the Roads Policing Unit said: “Alcohol is a powerful drug which can put people at risk of being killed or seriously injured, arrested, or becoming a victim of crime.

“Sadly, alcohol is also a feature in many of our incidents such as pedestrians being struck by cars on dark, unlit roads.

“We want people to enjoy the festive season, but we know from experience that at this time of year some people will come to harm due to excess alcohol and it’s the emergency services and local councils who are left picking up the pieces.

“We understand that people want to go out and enjoy themselves however it is so important that people make sure they don’t leave themselves vulnerable by drinking too much, staggering home alone or getting behind the wheel whilst under the influence.

“An enjoyable night means a safe night – not one that ends up in hospital or in one of our cells.

Insp Cust added: “We make a significant contribution to keeping our town centres safe so people can enjoy a good night out, but we must get the message across that people need to take greater responsibility for themselves and their friends to reduce the likelihood of them being injured, becoming a victim of crime, or being involved in violence through excessive drinking.

“We would like to express our thanks to Wetherspoon for supporting our campaign by displaying posters in their pubs across the region.

Alan Kay Area Manager for Wetherspoon across North Wales is fully supportive of the campaign. He said: “We are pleased to play our part in getting this important message over to the public and welcome these efforts to keep people safe during this time of year.

“Our pubs will display the posters prominently in order to highlight the campaign to our customers, and whilst we’d encourage everybody to enjoy themselves, it is important to remember these simple messages to help keep yourselves and others out of danger.”

Posters have been distributed to Wetherspoon pubs across North Wales including Shotton, Holywell and Mold.

Social media users can follow the campaign via the #ChooseWisely and #Fatal5 hashtags.