UPEI bus drives home message of responsible drinking

UPEI is using its team bus to drive home the message of responsible drinking.

The university's athletic department on Thursday unveiled the newly decorated bus promoting KeepItSocial.ca, a digital platform that emphasizes social drinking or the choice not to drink at all and discourages binge drinking.

Ryan MacKinnon, a UPEI hockey player from Summerside and one of the university's 11 KeepItSocial ambassadors, said it's not about preventing people from having a good time.

"It's keeping the responsibility level at a high, making those right decisions while having fun," he said.

KeepItSocial.ca originated in Nova Scotia with its liquor commission and universities, and was adopted by UPEI in partnership with the P.E.I. liquor commission in March 2016.

Since November, signs promoting KeepItSocial.ca have appeared at UPEI's sports centre and arena, and promotional products have been distributed to fans at Panther home games.

On Thursday, the newly decorated bus hit the road for the first time when the men's and women's basketball teams travelled to Cape Breton.

"It's something we're going to take pride in travelling on the road now knowing we have a bus like this," MacKinnon said. "We're really happy about it."

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