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Appointing a designated driver — someone who stays sober and makes sure the group has a safe way to get home — is a common strategy. The idea was introduced in the late 1980s to help combat drunk driving, and has been a successful public health strategy.
The social landscape has changed a lot since the 1980s. For example, cannabis is legal, everything gets documented on social media and there’s a global pandemic. It’s time to expand the designated driver concept beyond alcohol and a sober ride home. Today in The Conversation Canada, Jacqueline Lewis, associate professor of sociology, anthropology & criminology at the University of Windsor, explains how.
The idea behind Buddy Circles is to acknowledge this new landscape and mitigate the risks associated with it. A Buddy Guard abstains from alcohol, cannabis and other substances, but also keeps an eye out for things like overindulgence, spiked drinks and ill-advised photos or smartphone videos that could wind up making the wrong kind of splash on social media. In the time of COVID-19, the Buddy Guard also helps ensure that social distancing and face mask procedures are in place. It’s a risk-reduction strategy for safer nights out in 2020.
Also today:
All the best.
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The concept of Buddy Circles expands the designated driver role to include broader substance use and other risks.
(Pexels/Martin Lopez)
Jacqueline Lewis, University of Windsor
Buddy circles expand on the concept of a designated driver, encompassing other substances and risks — including COVID-19 and social media — to build a harm mitigation strategy for the 21st century.
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THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
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THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
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(Shutterstock)
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The Canadian Press
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AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit
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