We produce Responsible Brands
We operate in mature markets producing and selling drinks, which if consumed in excess may have an impact on public health.
As Portugal’s beverage market leader, we take on added responsibilities in the way we present ourselves, relate, and communicate.
We advocate the responsible consumption of beer, cider, and wine after the age of 18 and we incorporate into our portfolio non-alcoholic solutions ensuring the same spirit during a get-together, socialisation, or when sharing emotions.
This civic awareness is extended to the other products we place in the market.
Products that reflect our responsible citizenship and the motivation and perseverance that show up in our work every day.
WHAT WE ADVOCATE
It is forbidden for anyone under the age of 18 to buy or consume alcohol or anyone who is notoriously drunk or appears to be psychologically disturbed.
We incorporate messages for responsible consumption in all our alcoholic products.
We favour an improvement in the nutritional information on packages and communication outlets warning against risks associated with consumption in excess.
We invest in a wider range of products with low or no alcohol available and in the promotion of products with a low level of glycaemia and better nutrient profiles.
We invest in communications and marketing raising awareness to the importance of consuming alcohol in moderation and responsibly, exercising, and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Alcohol: What is it?
It is the result of fermenting natural sugar from fruit, vegetables, or cereal and its natural transformation into alcohol.
Each drink has a percentage of alcohol that may vary depending on fermentation. Overall, beer contains approximately 5% of alcohol and wine approximately 12% of alcohol.
A drink’s alcohol content is expressed in percentage/volume of pure alcohol in that drink. This value is on every label of alcoholic beverages. Although drinks of the same type are obtained through similar production processes, there may be small variations in their alcohol content as is the case with beer and wine.
Alcoholic drinks may be separated into two groups according to their alcohol content:
FERMENTED BEVERAGES
They are a result of sugar fermentation by the action of selected micro-organisms. You can obtain this sugar from fruit or cereal (which is the case of beer). The alcohol in these beverages may go up to 20%.
DISTILLED BEVERAGES
They are obtained through distillation, which results in beverages with a percentage of alcohol higher than fermented beverages as is the case of wine, cereal, and fruit spirits.
The effects of alcohol
When you drink alcohol, it takes 15 to 30 minutes to reach the blood if you have not eaten anything and 30 to 60 minutes if you have it with food.
The alcohol you drink is absorbed by the stomach and small intestine. Eating food helps to reduce the speed at which the alcohol is absorbed by the human body, for which reason the effect of drinking alcohol on an empty stomach is a lot quicker.
Once it is absorbed, the alcohol spreads around the body through the blood taking only a few minutes to reach the heart, brain, and muscles.
The human body is incapable of storing alcohol. It is essentially metabolised through the liver. During this process, in a first stage, the liver transforms the alcohol into acetaldehyde, which is subsequently transformed into acetate, a harmless substance that is expelled through urine. Only a very small percentage of the alcohol that is ingested is released through breathing or sweating.
The body’s capacity to metabolise and eliminate the alcohol ingested is associated with a series of factors like gender, weight, and age.
Alcohol acts on and blocks the brain system that is responsible for controlling inhibitions. Initially, you may feel euphoria and overly confident, which may lead to adopting a risky behaviour. After this initial feeling, you may experience sleepiness, blurred vision, muscular incoordination, decreased responsiveness, decreased attention and understanding, and muscle fatigue.
Stature also affects the way alcohol is absorbed through the human body and its levels of concentration in the blood. A shorter person will have a higher concentration of alcohol in the blood than a taller person who consumed the same amount of alcohol.
Other biological factors tell men and women apart in regard to the effect of alcohol consumption in the blood such as the amount of fat and water in the body: women tend to have a higher percentage of fat and lower percentage of water. Hence, for each unit of alcohol consumed, women tend to have a higher concentration of alcohol than men.
If you are dehydrated, the concentration of alcohol in your blood will be higher and its effect more severe.
Yes, according to the World Health Organisation, abusive alcohol consumption is an important public health issue.
We know that there is a causal link between alcohol in excess and a series of mental and behavioural disturbances, including addiction, other non-communicable diseases like liver diseases, some types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, as well as injuries from violence and traffic accidents.
Abusive alcohol consumption has considerable negative consequences for public health, for society, and for other people who are not the consumer.
Furthermore, abusive alcohol consumption leads to significant social and economic damages for individuals and society in general. In poorer countries, there are higher morbidity and mortality risks per litre of pure alcohol consumed than in wealthier countries.
LEARNING TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
The lower your weight, the higher your odds of feeling stronger effects associated with alcohol consumption. Gender also influences your capacity to drink alcohol. Women are normally more likely to experience the effects of alcohol.
Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach will lead to feeling the effects quicker. Eating helps delay those effects reducing the risk of sickness or stronger feelings associated with alcohol consumption.
Choose a smaller can, bottle, or glass. Avoid drinking alcohol repeatedly and continuously at a given time. Drink alcohol in moderation and gradually.
It is fundamental to stay hydrated during and after drinking. Because alcohol is dehydrating. And this dehydration together with drinking alcohol on an empty stomach will responsible for the hangover that takes place hours after drinking in excess. Drinking water, eating, and reducing the quantity of alcohol consumed are key factors to avoid a hangover.
If you are planning to drink alcohol, make sure you find an alternative to travel. Place your safety and that of others first.
Alcohol may increase the effects of many medications and interact with others rendering them inefficient. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about this before drinking alcohol.
Drinking alcohol in excess and irresponsibly leads to health issues and may place your safety and that of others at risk. Be responsible, drink in moderation.