People are being reminded of the importance of avoiding alcohol if they are taking part in any water-based activities.

According to Irish Water Safety (IWS), around 140 people drown in Ireland every year. Most of these drowning victims are male with an average age of 42 and the majority of drownings occur inland.

An analysis of drownings by IWS found that alcohol played a role in a number of these cases. As a result, the organisation has launched a joint campaign with drinkaware.ie, aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of drinking alcohol when taking part in water-based activities, such as swimming and sailing.

The message of the campaign is "Never ever drink and dive or swim or sail..."

Research undertaken last summer revealed that just one in five people were aware that you should wait one hour after consuming one standard drink before taking part in water-based activities.

"With an average of 140 people drowning in Ireland every year, it is important to recognise that alcohol can be a contributing factor to these tragedies. This campaign will highlight the need for responsibility when drinking alcohol and going onto or into the water. Educating people about water safety will reduce fatalities," insisted IWS chairperson, Breda Collins.

She noted that the campaign is timely as it comes just before the June bank holiday weekend when many people will be taking part in water-based activities.

Meanwhile, according to drinkaware.ie CEO, Fionnuala Sheehan, it is essential that people know what counts as a standard drink and how long this takes to leave your body.

"A standard drink is what you get in a glass of beer/lager/cider (not a pint), or a small glass of wine or a pub measure of spirits. On average, it takes our bodies about one hour to get rid of one standard drink," she explained.

She noted that more people take part in activities such as swimming, boating and surfing during the summer months, but reminded them that alcohol will ‘slow down reaction time, impact coordination and impair judgement, making it harder to get out of trouble in the water'.

The campaign has been launched to coincide with National Water Safety Awareness week, which runs until June 3.

For more information on IWS, click here