Diageo quits Stop Out-of-Control Drinking board

Following a storm of controversy, the country director of Diageo Ireland has resigned from the board of alcohol awareness campaign Stop Out-of-Control Drinking.

Diageo Ireland’s country director, David Smith, has resigned from the Stop Out-of-Control Drinking campaign board

Diageo’s David Smith – who is the fourth board member to resign in the last few weeks – said he was stepping down from the board in an effort to avoid “further distraction” from the campaign’s goals.

The drinks firm will, however, continue to fund the Stop Out-of-Control Drinking campaign.

“Since the launch of the campaign many of our board members have been subjected to unwarranted pressure because of a perceived lack of independence given the involvement of Diageo on the board,” Smith said in a statement. “I remain as committed to that cause as ever, and in my mind, the cause and the campaign are bigger than any of us.

“Tackling alcohol misuse is far more important than whether or not Diageo are represented on the board and I believe this will allow the board to now focus their considerable passion and talent on listening to the public and recommending solutions that work.

“We hope that we can now all move past the criticism of the campaign and focus on its merits and what we can all do as a society to tackle out of control drinking.”

Critics have hit out at Diageo’s involvement in the binge drinking campaign accusing the group of using the initiative as a “smokescreen” to bolster its credibility, which the drinks giant refuted saying it “really believes in” the campaign.

The Stop Out-of-Control Drinking campaign also released a statement that said Smith’s resignation was an “assertion” of the board’s determination to behave independently.

“It is also a reiteration of our total independence to produce a national debate, and a strategy that will seek to change the drinking culture within Ireland,” the statement said.

“Finally, it is an opportunity for reasonable and fair-minded people to reassess any initial scepticism about the motives of this campaign.

“We will deliver our plan this summer and welcome that Diageo will continue to fund the campaign during this time, while playing no further part in the board itself.”

Earlier this month, a rape crisis charity condemned an advertisement by the Stop Out-of-Control Drinking campaign claiming it “blames victims of rape for their own rape”.