Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Partners with Health Communications to Bring Alcohol Training to Communities
Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, Inc. (WSWA) and Health Communications, Inc (HCI) today announced a partnership that will promote responsible consumption of alcohol in communities across the United States.
Washington, DC and Arlington, VA (Vocus) August 8, 2008
Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, Inc. (WSWA) and Health Communications, Inc (HCI) today announced a partnership that will promote responsible consumption of alcohol in communities across the United States. WSWA is dedicated to advancing the social responsibility interests of wholesale distributors and/or brokers of wine and/or spirits. Founded in 1943, WSWA has nearly 350 member companies in 50 states and the District of Columbia. WSWA members distribute more than 80% of all wines and spirits sold at wholesale in the United States.
HCI was founded in 1982 by Dr. Morris Chafetz, founding director of the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. HCI is a nationally recognized expert in the field of alcohol server training. Its flagship program, TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures), was the first of its kind and continues to set industry standards. Numerous academics, public officials and government agencies have recognized and endorsed TIPS training as life saving and critical to the progress made in reducing alcohol-related incidents. Proven effective by third-party studies, TIPS is a skills-based training program that is designed to prevent intoxication, underage drinking, and drunk driving. TIPS gives individuals the knowledge and confidence they need to recognize potential alcohol-related problems and intervene to prevent alcohol-related tragedies. TIPS offers seven programs that address the unique environments where alcohol is served, sold, and consumed, including On Premise, Off Premise, Concessions, Gaming, University, Seniors, and Workplace. HCI has certified over 3 million servers worldwide in the TIPS program. There are TIPS-certified people in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and over 30 foreign countries.
Through the TIPS “Train-the-Trainer” workshops, employees of WSWA member companies will become certified TIPS trainers who in turn can train retail staff on the proper techniques for serving alcohol safely, responsibly and well within the bounds of state and local laws. “TIPS is the global leader in alcohol training and WSWA members represent the bulk of wine and spirit distribution in the U. S. The partnership strengthens our resolve to promote community safety,” said Craig Wolf, President & CEO of WSWA.
In addition to preventing the misuse of alcohol, TIPS will help establishments that serve or sell alcohol by reducing their exposure to alcohol liability lawsuits, lowering insurance premiums, and improving overall customer service and satisfaction. “I applaud WSWA for providing their members with the training that will give their retailers the confidence and interpersonal skills to make a difference. TIPS has made a huge difference in communities. Whether it be handling a refusal situation or spotting underage drinkers, TIPS has the ability to build bridges and break barriers within a community. Wine and spirits wholesalers are in a position to get entire communities speaking the same language about alcohol,” said Adam Chafetz, CEO & President of HCI.
WSWA will be implementing the program by the end of this month. They plan on launching a web page that will be dedicated to providing their members with the resources they need to launch TIPS in their communities. For more information about WSWA, visit www. wswa. org. For more information about HCI, visit www. gettips. com.
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