Last year alcohol contributed to 12,880 crashes and 368 deaths on Ohio’s roads, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety. This included 72 alcohol-related crashes in Marion County. More alcohol-related crashes happened in December than any other month of the year. In an effort to curb alcohol-related crashes this holiday season, AAA stores are holding events that encourage Ohioans to celebrate responsibly.
The Marion AAA Store will be hosting its “First a Friend Then a Host,” Holiday Mocktail Competition on Thursday, Dec. 20 during normal business hours. This is one of 23 Holiday Mocktail Competitions that will take place at AAA stores throughout the state.
On the day of the competition, store associates will create non-alcoholic cocktails, or mocktails. Community members are invited to come in, sample these mocktails and vote on their favorite.
Some of the planned mocktails at the Marion AAA store include:
- New Year’s Punch
- Christmas Morning Sunrise
- Santa’s Coffee Chiller
Recipes for these mocktails will be available for people to take and use at their holiday gatherings.
Community members can also bring in their own mocktail recipes. These recipes will be entered into a drawing for a $150 Visa Travel Money card. All recipe submissions will also be included in the 2013 “First a Friend, Then a Host Recipe Book,” due out in the spring of 2013.
This competition is designed to generate conversation about drunk driving and encourage the community to incorporate non-alcoholic fun into their holiday celebrations.
In addition, AAA offers several tips to keep motorists and others safe this holiday season:
- Plan ahead – Choose a designated non-drinking driver before any holiday celebration.
- Don’t drink and drive – NEVER get behind the wheel of a car when you’ve been drinking.
- Be a real friend – Don’t let friends and family drive drunk.
- Host responsibly – Remind guests to stay safe and offer non-alcoholic beverages.
The Marion AAA store opens at 9:00 a.m. and is located at 1316 Mt. Vernon Ave.
As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 53 million members with travel-, insurance-, financial- and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited online at AAA.com.
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