INCREASED AWARENESS Drinking habits change CHANGES IN personal tastes and habits, increased awareness of health, and tougher drinking driv- ing penalties have driven down {i- quor sales in the U.S. and Canada. Leaders in the hospitality in- dustry are supporting new custom- er preferences with innovative products and a more thoughtful approach to marketing of alcohol. Quoted in The Nation's Restz- rant News, Fred Sampson, presi- dent of the New York State Res- taurant Association, said, ‘We're probably witnessing a phenomenon of the greatest self-imposed pro- hibition in the history of the coun- try. CONSERVATIVE DRINKERS “People are concerned about drinking and driving, and are becoming very, very conservative in what they drink,’’ he added. The U.S. Commerce Depart- ment says presently 35 per cent of Americans are net consuming alcohol, up from the previous high of 29 per cent in 1969. Their data indicates that people over 30 are drinking less, and that more people are calling for both an increase in the drinking age and even tougher drinking driving laws. While laws get tougher and at- titudes change, bar receipts con- tinue to drop on both sides of the border and the cost of liquor lia- bility insurance for the hospitality industry continues to rise. oo LAW SUITS Some American operators have been successfully sued for huge amounts by patrons who have been involved in traffic crashes after leaving the operator's establish- ment. A pending case in Manitoba may set similar legal precedents in Canada. A Winnipeg couple are suing a city hotel for allegedly serving too much alcohol to the man who hit them with his car. Sandy Maclver, the couple’s lawyer says, ‘“‘We believe there is duty on the hotel to ensure that their patrons are not allowed to drink to excess and create mayhem on the road.’’ This double squeeze of higher insurance costs and lower income has underlined the industry’s need ee ad ge tf teen for a new approach, Non-alcoholic drinks are in- creasing their share of the retail beverage market. The most popu- lar of these drinks is any of the more than 1,000 varieties of “sparkling waters’’, flavored or unflavored. These are followed in preference by new novelty drinks, Mocktails, ice cream and milk based drinks, coffees and teas and carbonated soft drinks. BAR SNACKS Bar snacks are also being up- dated with more innovative use of high protein meats and cheeses. One new customer trend involves “grazing’’, where customers can snack on gourmet items like Japa- nese sashimi, northern Italian pasta, Korean barbecue and seafood. A balance of reasonably priced foods along with bar menus offer- ing both alcoholic and non- alcoholic beverages has helped some operators successfully attract See Liquor Page 39 i i i i t bd Vishing you the best for the Holidays PONTIAC © BUICK # CADILLAC WEST VANCOUVER PARK ROYAL 922-4111 VICTIMS GF THE DRINKING DRIVER (lajurles & Fatalities, 1985) Cyclists ~ Pedestrians Passengers : _— Orivers drive up costs PEOPLE WHO drink and drive are expensive to everyone. It costs a lot of money to fix cars, pay funeral and medical bills, and to compensate people for be- ing out of work or having to live wth handicaps. The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia does not like having to ask people to pay the cost of claims for crashes involving drinking drivers, says ICBC Trat- fic Safety Education manager Hugh Lindsay. “That’s why ICBC is glad to join with the Ministry of Attorney General, the police, and the people in your community in the CounterAttack program against drinking/driving. We are proud to be part of CounterAttack,’’ Lind- say says, ‘‘because it works in sav- ing lives, reducing injuries and cut- ting the cost of insurance claims.’’ Lindsay offers the following ex- amples of the effectiveness of the CounterAttack program. In Prince Rupert last year, he says, the students organized a ‘‘dry grad” program, No liquor was served at the par- ties, anc the parents formed a network of volunteers who the grads could call for a ride. “That was the first year that no grad was killed or injured on graduation night,’’ Lindsay points out. . The Princess Marguerite steam- ship, Lindsay states, issues soft drink tokens to ail drivers travel- ling between Seattle and Victoria. ‘‘This corporation is being a good citizen by encourag- ing its customers to drink non- alcoholic beverages and helping them to drive more safely,’’ says Lindsay. He adds ICBC has many more examples in its files of success stories just like these. ‘‘We are proud that the staff of ICC's Traffic Safety Education Depart- ment was able to provide ideas and heJp for such programs. But it was the people in the community, the volunteer parents, the students, the businesses, and the police, who worked together with us, that made these programs work.’” Thanks to the businesses and the newspapers who have joined together to put out this special supplement, the message of CounterAttack is reaching into almost every home, says Lindsay. The carnage on the highways ean be reduced by the individual decisions of all citizens. ICBC reminds individuals that they can decide: © to drive only when sober * to ride only with sober drivers © to entertain so that drivers leav- ing their home are safe drivers *to join a community group working to improve traffic safety. MERRY XMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR Don’t Drink & Derive from PAYLESS AUTO TOWING LTD. The Best for Less Specializing in car recoveries ° 24 hour service Serving the North Shore & Whistler Wheel-lift carrier service North Shore 988-4176 1525 Bewicke St. North Vancouver Whistler 932-3222