Majority Of Americans Will Plan Ahead To Celebrate Super Bowl XLIX Responsibly

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- As the exclusive beer sponsor for Super Bowl XLIX, Anheuser-Busch today announced results of a recent survey* conducted online on its behalf by Harris Poll to gain key insights about consumers' Super Bowl XLIX plans and drinking decisions. Seventy-three percent of Americans age 21 and older – 161 million peopleⁱ – plan to watch Super Bowl XLIX, and according to the survey, of those who plan to drink at Super Bowl parties, 71 percent will make plans to get home safe in advance.

"Super Bowl Sunday is a national celebration, and Anheuser-Busch products will be consumed by millions of adults across the country," said Kathy Casso, vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility, Anheuser-Busch. "That's why our priority has always been to remind fans to make a plan to make it home and drink responsibly."

Fans Make an Important Call Before They Celebrate
According to the survey, 71 percent of those who drink alcohol beverages at Super Bowl Sunday parties will make post-game plans to get home safe before leaving their home.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of drunk-driving fatalities during Super Bowl Sunday declined 26 percent since 1982.

"Drunk driving is 100 percent preventable when you make a plan to make it home safely, and we all have our part to play," Casso added. "The decline in drunk-driving fatalities on this particular weekend is encouraging, but there is still more we can do."

Super Bowl Party Hosts are Stepping up
Location is an important factor when it comes to Super Bowl watching. According to the survey, 53 percent plan to watch the game at home, 18 percent will watch the action at a friend or family member's home, and five percent will watch at a restaurant, bar or public space. 

Among those who plan to watch at home, at a restaurant, bar, public space or somewhere else, 18 percent plan to host a Super Bowl party this year. Survey results also point to ways in which hosts will help guests get home safely afterward. Sixty-one percent of Super Bowl hosts will invite guests who drink to stay overnight, while 44 percent will drive partygoers home or call a cab/car service (43 percent).

"Hosts are stepping up and playing a role in making sure their guests get home safely, which is a vital part of helping keep our roads safe," said Casso.

Super Bowl Doesn't Have to Mean Excess
The survey also revealed that 77 percent of those drinking alcohol beverages at Super Bowl parties don't plan to drink more during the Super Bowl than they would at any other social gathering they attend.

"The survey tells us that the majority of fans don't feel a need to over-indulge to have fun when celebrating the Super Bowl," Casso remarked. "Overall, the results are very encouraging, and we hope the responsible behaviors exhibited by most adults serve as positive inspiration for all consumers of alcohol."

Over the past three decades, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers have committed more than $1 billion in national advertising campaigns and community-based programs to encourage responsible drinking and prevent underage drinking and drunk driving. Anheuser-Busch and its brands offer solutions and rewards for adults looking for a safe ride home or who choose to be or use a designated driver with consumer centric programs like the Bud Light taxi app and the Budweiser and Bud Light Good Sport programs. In Phoenix this weekend, Bud Light is partnering with Uber to provide complimentary safe rides in and around the city. The Bud Light Blue Line, powered by Uber, will include two double-decker buses available to adults 21 and older that will stop at select hotels and entertainment spots Friday through Sunday.

For full Anheuser-Busch Super Bowl survey results, please visit www.alcoholstats.com.

*Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Anheuser-Busch from December 19-23, 2014, among 1,932 adults ages 21 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample, and therefore, no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Beth Kerley at [email protected].

About Anheuser-Busch
For more than 160 years, Anheuser-Busch and its world-class brewmasters have carried on a legacy of brewing America's most popular beers. Starting with the finest ingredients sourced from Anheuser-Busch's family of growers, every batch is crafted using the same exacting standards and time-honored traditions passed down through generations of proud Anheuser-Busch brewmasters and employees. Best known for its fine American-style lagers, Budweiser and Bud Light, the company's beers lead numerous beer segments and combined hold 47.2 percent share of the U.S. beer market. Anheuser-Busch is the U.S. arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev and operates 15 breweries, 17 distributorships and 23 agricultural and packaging facilities across the United States. Its flagship brewery remains in St. Louis and is among the global company's largest and most technologically capable breweries. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

ⁱ Calculation based on U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 Census, which estimates there are 220.9 million adults ages 21+ residing in the United States: 220.9M x 0.73 = 161M

SOURCE Anheuser-Busch

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