Q&A: Robert Hall and Leslie Kimball of Responsibility.org

Promoting safe consumption practices remains a critical component of the alcohol industry. Helping lead that effort is The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org). Supported by 13 of America’s leading distillers, Responsibility.org works to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking, while promoting responsible decision-making regarding beverage alcohol. We recently spoke with the organization’s newly appointed chair, Robert Hall, and executive director, Leslie Kimball.

Beverage Dynamics: What attracted you to becoming chairman of Responsibility.org?

Robert Hall: The motto of Responsibility.org says it all — Responsibility Starts with Me. As the CEO of Ole Smoky, I’m dedicated to the mission and vision of Responsibility.org. Ole Smoky distillery welcomes more than five million people each year through our doors, and we want them to understand that we stand firmly against youth access to alcohol. We don’t want anyone to be on the road with drunk drivers, and we will work hard to keep our roads safe. Finally, we want to be a part of the solution. When people choose to drink, we want them to do so responsibly.

Leslie Kimball: I often say that our member companies — their employees — are the best examples of responsibility that we have. They are the embodiment of years — generations — of hard work in business, agriculture, science — all of it.

BD: What do you hope to accomplish during your time as chair?

RH: My focus is to keep the ship on the course that Responsiblity.org has been on for the last 30-plus years. But like everything — bigger and better. We want to become a household name when it comes to all things responsible, so we will continue to work with our board and on Capitol Hill to keep our finger on the pulse of progress. We want to nurture our membership and watch it grow so we can increase the reach of our programs and ultimately reach the missions of the organization when it comes to safety, saving lives and enjoying distilled spirits responsibly.

BD: What programs are you most proud of at Responsibility.org?

LK: It’s impossible to pick just one. It’s like asking a parent to choose a favorite child. But as a parent myself, the programs that Responsibility.org has in the underage drinking prevention space leave a great impact. Our Ask, Listen, Learn underage drinking prevention program has been around for more than 20 years. It’s gone through pivots and iterations to ensure it aligns with science and what kids are doing, learning and experiencing.

We always try to meet parents where they are, so we also have a robust network of content creators and parents who know all about the importance of conversations — starting them early and having them often.

RH: Our newest program is Responsibility Works. This is an alcohol education program for anyone. It educates people about alcohol in general: What a standard size drink is and how alcohol affects the body. This is a fantastic tool to educate people throughout the country to make them more aware and therefore more responsible when it comes to decisions about alcohol in the real world.

LK: I’ll just add that the Virtual Bar is something I think every adult of legal drinking age should have on their phone. It’s not intuitive for some to understand how alcohol affects their [blood alcohol content], so this is a tool that we can all use to help us understand how alcohol beverages will affect not only our BAC but also how that makes us feel. It takes your weight, gender, height and food and beverage intake, and gives you an estimate of how your blood alcohol content may be affected. I think it’s a great safety and planning tool.

BD: Rhetorical question, but why is the work of Responsibility.org so important?

RH: The work is important because responsibility is leadership. It’s knowledge. It’s keeping each other safe. And Responsibility is about celebrating each other and enjoying alcoholic beverages and all our time together. The work that we do embodies all of this.

BD: What’s the best way for parents to discuss the dangers of underage drinking with their children?

LK: Education is the key to keeping kids safe. As soon as your child asks, ‘What’s that?’ or ‘Can I have a sip?’ relating to alcohol, it’s time to start the conversations. Conversations plural! And as kids grow, the conversations grow, too.

I think the most important thing is to be respectful — kids are smart. They are always listening and learning from what they see, especially from parents. So, if you model responsible behaviors around alcohol, then they will grow up with the knowledge that alcohol is for adults and not kids.

They will not be confused by ‘mommy juice’, or think that alcohol is a coping mechanism for stress or an escape. All of this is critically important. But there is no one way to do it. It’s a process, but one that we should all take seriously as parents.

BD: What’s next for Responsibility.org?

RH: Part of what we do is we keep moving forward. We will continue working to eliminate underage drinking, eliminate drunk and impaired driving, and make sure adults are consuming alcohol responsibly. But we want the education to continue. We want our roads to be safer. We want every decision about alcohol to be an informed one. For 2024, Responsibility.org released a new strategic plan that will take us through the next five years.

We will be listening, learning, and evaluating how we can be a voice in the hospitality space — both for patrons and employees. We will also speak with experts in the field of mental health so we can work on programming and messaging with that sensitive topic in mind.

BD: How can more organizations/companies/individuals in the alcohol industry better promote safe alcohol practices?

LK: We see ourselves as leaders, yes, but also as conveners, and collaborators. If there are organizations looking for resources about alcohol and responsibility, we are more than happy to work together to receive and share the best information possible.

RH: Another way that we want everyone to jump in is by participating in the We Don’t Serve Teens campaign at wedontserveteens.com. This is a project for parents, communities, coalitions, retailers, manufacturers — everyone — to take responsibility to never serve, supply, or sell alcohol to anyone below the legal drinking age. It’s not only illegal, but it’s also irresponsible and unsafe.

This interview was condensed and edited for publication.

Kyle Swartz is editor of Beverage Dynamics. Reach him at kswartz@epgmediallc.com. Read his recent piece, Our 2024 Retailer of the Year: Macadoodles.

The post Q&A: Robert Hall and Leslie Kimball of Responsibility.org appeared first on StateWays.

Promoting safe consumption practices remains a critical component of the alcohol industry. Helping lead that effort is The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org). Supported by 13 of America’s leading distillers, Responsibility.org works to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking, while promoting responsible decision-making regarding beverage alcohol. We recently spoke with the organization’s newly appointed
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