Diageo Honored by Washington Regional Alcohol Program for Leadership in Encouraging Responsible Drinking

2010 'WRAPPY' Award for Corporate Sponsorship Recognizes Company for Supporting WRAP's Fight Against Drunk Driving in the Washington-Metropolitan Area for Second Year in a Row

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Diageo

Oct 26, 2010, 11:04 ET

NORWALK, Conn., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Diageo, the world's leading spirits, beer and wine company, and an industry leader in promoting responsible drinking, was recognized for the second year in a row by the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) for its exceptional support of WRAP's efforts to combat underage drinking and drunk driving in the Washington-Metropolitan Area. The 2010 WRAPPY Award for Corporate Sponsorship was recently presented to Diageo during WRAP's Annual Meeting Luncheon and Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC.

"Diageo has a zero tolerance policy toward drunk driving and underage drinking, and we maintain an unwavering dedication to our work with WRAP and Washington area government officials to combat these issues," said Guy Smith, Executive Vice President, Diageo North America. "Our goal is for all stakeholders who feel passionate about this issue to join us in the fight against drunk driving and underage drinking in Washington and throughout the country."

WRAP's work makes a considerable difference every day by saving lives and educating Washington-Metropolitan residents about the dangers of irresponsible drinking. Through public education, innovative health education programs and advocacy, WRAP has been credited with helping lower the alcohol-related traffic fatality rate in the Washington metro area and contributing to a near 10 percent decrease in the national average of alcohol-related traffic fatalities in 2008. Among WRAP's award-winning initiatives is a free cab ride service, SoberRide, which prevents potential drunk driving.

"With alcohol-related causes contributing to nearly one-third of all traffic deaths in greater Washington, it is of the utmost importance to maintain a strong alliance against this very real danger," said Kurt Gregory Erickson, President of WRAP. "Thanks to our powerful partnership with Diageo, we have been able to make significant strides in combating drunk driving."

Diageo is a founding member and major supporter of The Century Council, an organization funded by some of the country's leading distillers committed to developing programs to combat drunk driving and underage drinking. These programs include 'Combating Drunk Driving Judicial Education' and 'Girl Talk.' The Century Council also works with a broad array of education and prevention professionals on alcohol issues. In addition, Diageo is an active supporter of the Federal Trade Commission's anti-underage drinking campaign, 'We Don't Serve Teens'.

About Diageo

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE).

For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

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About Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP)

Founded in 1982, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program is an award-winning public-private partnership working to prevent drunk driving and underage drinking in the Washington-metropolitan area. Through public education, innovative health education programs and advocacy, WRAP is credited with keeping the metro-Washington area's alcohol-related traffic deaths consistently lower than the national average. WRAP, however, may best be known to area residents via the organization's popular free cab ride service for would-be drunk drivers, SoberRide. For more information, visit WRAP's web site at www.wrap.org.

SOURCE Diageo