Hispanic business, community, media and Law enforcement gather to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

On Thursday, Sept. 22, the Multicultural Consortium for Responsible Drinking (MCRD) — a working group focused on increasing awareness on the risks of alcohol-related harm and providing education in communities of color across the country — hosted a dinner at Zona de Cuba Restaurant in the Bronx with Hispanic community, business, faith, media and law enforcement leaders from New York and New Jersey to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month under the theme “Buena Gente, Buen Ambiente.”

During the event hosted by the National Latino Officers Association and Diageo North America — both members of the MCRD — the group introduced some of the resources and tools to help address the misuse of alcohol and the impact of impaired driving in the Hispanic community, including:

-Wrong Side of the Road: an interactive digital experience featuring real stories of impaired drivers who share their consequences – including someone who crashed on his way to work the morning after a night of drinking and a father who crashed into a wall driving to a high school football game. The tool is available at https://drinkdriving.drinkiq.com;

-DRINKiQ.com: Did you know that men and women process alcohol differently? Or that beer, wine or spirits all contain the same amount of alcohol? These and much more information could be found in this platform that helps people understand the effects of alcohol and empowers them to make responsible choices around alcohol. It is also available in Spanish language at DRINKiQ.com/espanol.

Attendees of the event included Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez; Anthony Miranda, a New York City sheriff; Sylvia Miranda, executive director National Latino Officers Association; Alvaro Gurdián, president of the National Association of Hispanic Publications; Ricardo Hurtado, vice president of Sales, National Association of Hispanic Publications; Fernando Mate, a community activist; Luis Guerrero of the New York International Salsa Conference; Jessica Hernandez, a sergeant with the state Court Officers, and president of the Latino Court Officers Society.