Joe Schaal October 26, 2018

Smart Consumption

Smart Consumption

At FIFCO USA, we certainly understand how refreshing and delicious an ice-cold beer tastes on a hot summer day…or after a hard day’s work…or when you’re out enjoying good friends and great food. And, of course, we’re thrilled when our products are part of any celebration or social gathering.

It has been scientifically proven that responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages by healthy adults can be socially acceptable – and even good for you. However, irresponsible use of alcohol can have harmful effects, not only on your physical and mental health, but also on those of third parties.

That’s why we are committed to smart consumption of the products we brew and sell, and to educating consumers to be smart about drinking habits so as to encourage healthy and balanced lifestyles.

Our commitment includes:

Showing respect toward those adults who choose not to consume our products.
Encouraging those who consume our products to do so responsibly at all times.
Developing new or supporting existing initiatives that promote zero alcohol consumption among vulnerable or sensitive populations, for whom consuming alcohol is NEVER appropriate.

Drinking can be part of your healthy lifestyle, so go ahead and enjoy your beer! But, please…always DRINK SMART. We encourage you to view the individual modules below to learn more about smart consumption:

Moderation

Consumption Patterns

Alcohol Consumption

Sensitive Populations

FIFCO USA is a Triple Bottom Line company committed to impacting our community and environment. In partnership with our stakeholders, we look for opportunities to create sustainable impact in the areas where we operate. We focus on promoting smart consumption; building strong communities; improving waterways, trails and parks, and workforce development.

We partner with grassroots, charitable organizations that create sustainable impact. If you have a program or project that you would like to tell us about, please submit our online application.

Alcohol Consumption

According to surveys conducted in 2015 by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, over 85 percent of Americans ages 18 or older reported that they have consumed alcohol in their lifetime; 70 percent reported they drank in the past year and 56 percent in the past month.

Over 25 percent of people ages 18 or older engaged in binge drinking in the past month. Binge drinking is defined as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL, which typically occurs after four drinks for women and five drinks for men in a two-hour period. Seven percent reporting they engaged in heavy alcohol use – binge drinking on five or more days – in the past month.

Roughly 15 million American adults (18+) and an estimated 623,000 adolescents (ages 12-17) have Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational or health consequences.

Alcohol abuse costs the United States billions of dollars each year, with approximately three quarters of that money relating to binge drinking.

We at FIFCO USA urge you to practice smart consumption. View the Moderation module for tips on how to drink responsibly.

Consumption Patterns

When it comes to consuming alcohol, what you drink is not nearly as significant as how you drink…or your consumption pattern.

A consumption pattern describes the way in which a population consumes alcohol and how such behavior adjusts to different cultures and societies. These patterns are defined by considering the amount of alcohol and the way it is consumed. To live a healthy lifestyle, it’s important to develop a healthy pattern of consumption that involves drinking in moderation.

First, it’s important to know what counts as a drink. In the United States, any drink that contains 0.6 fluid ounces (or 14 grams) of pure alcohol is considered “standard.” But the amount of alcohol can vary by type of beer, wine or malt liquor. The best way to know how much alcohol you are consuming is to read the label or search online.

Is your consumption pattern a healthy one? If you are a woman and consume no more than two drinks per day and no more than seven drinks per week, you are considered to be a low-risk drinker. If you are a man, you would need to consume no more than three drinks per day and no more than 14 drinks per week to be a low-risk drinker. Keep in mind that low risk does not mean no risk. Your age, how quickly you consume alcohol and your health can all be risk factors.

You can reduce your risks by cutting down on the amount of alcohol you consume (or eliminating it completely) and making sure you take steps to drink safely (pace yourself, eat food while drinking and don’t drive, etc.).

Moderation

Moderation, by definition, means “the avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one’s behavior.” But when it comes to consuming alcohol, moderation can mean different things to different people.

Drinking, like eating or any social activity, has guidelines to help you get more enjoyment and benefits out of the activity. Alcohol consumed in moderation can actually be a good thing, as it can reduce the risk of heart disease and ischemic stroke and protect against certain illnesses and ailments, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and gallstones. But when consumed more heavily, alcohol can have negative effects on your body, your health, your mood and, if you’re pregnant, your unborn child.

It’s not so much about what you drink as how you drink. For example, drinking a six pack on a Saturday night and then not drinking at all the other six days is not equal to having one drink per day. The health and wellbeing implications are much more serious when alcohol is over-consumed. Visit the Consumption Patterns module to learn more.

Here are some tips to help you consume alcohol responsibly:

Sip your drink slowly; don’t gulp it down
Eat food as you drink
Know your limits
Consume a drink only when you really want one
Don’t drink and drive
Beware of consuming alcohol if you take certain medications
Don’t pressure those who do not want to drink; don’t let yourself be pressured

Sensitive Populations

Most people can enjoy – even benefit from – drinking alcohol in moderation. But alcohol affects people differently. For example, men typically can tolerate more alcohol than women. Your weight and general health can be factors in the amount of alcohol you can tolerate. Family history should also be taken into account.

That’s why it’s important to practice smart consumption and to know your limits.

But there are certain groups of people, known as sensitive populations, who shouldn’t consume alcohol under any circumstances. This, of course, includes those under the legal drinking age of 21.

Minors and Alcohol

At North American Breweries, we take our responsibility as an alcoholic beverage-producing company very seriously. And while we promote consumption in moderation by adults, we also try to prevent consumption of alcohol by minors, or those under the legal drinking age of 21.

There are many good reasons why minors should not consume alcohol. Adolescents can’t handle alcohol like adults can. They typically weigh less and have less water in their bodies to dilute alcohol and they have fewer enzymes that help the liver eliminate alcohol.

An adolescent’s brain is more vulnerable to damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Recent studies show that the brain is not completely developed until 20 years of age. Thus, adolescents are at higher risk when they drink, since alcohol inhibits the development of certain brain parts.

As a parent, you can play a key role in educating your children about alcohol and talking to them about the many problems associated with excessive consumption so they have correct information. Please make this discussion a key part of your general health and safety conversations with your children.

Other Sensitive Populations

In addition to minors, there are additional sensitive populations who should avoid alcohol completely because, for them, there is no known amount that is safe to consume. This includes:

Women who are, may be or are trying to become pregnant
People driving a vehicle or operating machinery
People with certain medical conditions that might worsen with alcohol consumption
People taking prescription or over-the-counter medications that might cause a reaction with alcohol consumption