Methodist Church launches campaign encouraging sensible drinking

"Mocktails" competition to promote having fun withoutlosing control

The Methodist Church will launch a new competition alongside therelease of the new Bridget Jones film aiming to encouragesensible drinking among younger women. The competition will findthe best recipes for Mocktails - alcohol-free cocktails - to showthat people can have fun without heavy drinking.
 
The competition will be promoted by a colourful postcard that willbe distributed in British cinemas alongside the upcoming movieBridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, in 11 major cities. Thepostcard contains both an entry form for contestants to create aTiny Knickers Mocktail and a card for women to send the Big PantsMocktail recipe to their friends. The postcards are backed up withan animated website which has further Mocktail recipes, games andinformation.

But the campaign has a serious message alongside the fun. Anumber of surveys have shown a recent increase in heavy drinking byyounger women. Government statistics show that nearly one-third ofwomen aged 18 to 24 binge drink. This leaves them vulnerable notonly to the sort of alcohol-related problems and accidents thataffect everybody, but also to the dangers of sexual assault and theconsequences of unprotected sex. The main audience of theBridget Jones books and movies are women in the 20s and30s, and this is also the group of women showing the greatestproblems with binge drinking.

Anthea Cox, Methodist Co-ordinating Secretary for Public Lifeand Social Justice, says "There has been an increasing trend foryoung women to drink heavily on nights out as evidenced by recentmedia reports of 'ladette' culture. Taking a more responsibleattitude to alcohol should not prevent people having fun but allowswomen to remain in control. Women are more vulnerable to crime,sexual assault and the consequences of having unprotected sex aswell as longer-term health problems if they drink large qualitiesof alcohol on a night out. Drinking Mocktails is not only enjoyablebut because of the appearance of the drink no one need know thatthey don't contain alcohol."

Anthea adds: "I'm sure women going to see the BridgetJones film will be attracted to the postcards. The idea isthat women will be encouraged to have a Mocktail making party withtheir friends, or ask for non-alcoholic alternatives when outpartying. Whilst the message is a serious one, the emphasis is thatyou can still enjoy yourself whilst remaining safe."

Big Pants Mocktail
Half fill a tall glass with crushed ice. Pour over equal parts oforange and mango juice. Top up with plenty of ginger ale. Add adash of grenadine. Garnish with a slice of lime - or a cherry ifyou prefer.