Stress amplifies the effect of alcohol and people under psychological strain should stay away from drinking if they are driving, Social Solidarity Minister Michael Farrugia warned yesterday.

“If you are stressed out, two tots of alcohol can even affect the way you walk, and you would not be able to walk in a straight line,” Dr Farrugia said, following the launch of a new drink-driving campaign.

Insisting that psychological trauma amplified the effect of alcohol, the minister said at the launch that Malta’s (80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood) limit was not among the lowest.

Asked whether the government intended to make the test tougher, he said the limit was being discussed by the Addiction Policy Group.

The new campaign, called #dontrisk and organised by Bay Radio, in collaboration with The Sense Group, Transport Malta and Times of Malta, was launched in a bid to promote a positive message: that it is fine to remain sober if you are driving.

If you are stressed out, two tots of alcohol can even affect the way you walk

It provides information on social media about the legal alcohol limit, the consequences if a driver is caught drunk, and the impact of alcohol on driving.

Bay Radio Station Manager Kevin De Cesare said only one per cent of the Maltese were aware of the alcohol limit and drink-driving remained an increasing concern, accounting for 13 per cent of all road fatalities in 2012. Addressing the launch yesterday, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi noted that fatal traffic accidents were still on the increase. Everyone needed to get on board the safety campaign, including pedestrians, because accidents were not always drivers’ fault, he said.

Ray Grech from The Sense Group said bottlers and distributers had initially launched an awareness campaign in 1997 as the industry could not ignore the abuse of alcohol. In a similar fashion, it was joining this campaign because there was lack of awareness about the legal limit.

www.dontrisk.com.mt