Jamaica: Red Stripe to host forum on responsible alcohol consumption
Loop
December 9, 2021
As we approach the traditionally high consumption period of the festive season, Red Stripe and the Desnoes & Geddes (D&G) Foundation will host Responsible Living Now, a virtual knowledge forum on the responsible consumption of alcohol on Friday, December 10.
Endorsed by the Minister of Education, Youth and Information Fayval Williams, who will deliver the keynote address, the forum will feature presentations by local and international experts and policy leaders on the issue of alcohol abuse.
“Last year, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information joined with Red Stripe and the D&G Foundation to focus on reducing underage consumption of, and access to, alcohol. This year we are continuing this effort,” said Minister Williams. “We know that our teenagers take risks which form part of their growth and development. In light of recent data suggesting greater misuse among a wider cross-section of Jamaicans who are over the legal drinking age, Red Stripe and the D&G Foundation have broadened the focus to push greater awareness of the dangers of overconsumption.”
Industry leaders slated to share ideas and perspectives include Paula Fletcher, Executive Director of the National Road Safety Council; Dane Barr, Manager of Beer Advocacy for Global Public Policy at HEINEKEN; and the New York-based Chairman and CEO of the Worldwide Brewers Alliance, Justin Kissinger.
“We continue to work with the Ministry of Education and other advocates, here and abroad, to tackle alcohol misuse. The knowledge forum will maximize our impact by bringing together stakeholders who believe like we do, that tackling alcohol abuse requires a whole-of-society approach,” said Dianne Ashton Smith, Head of Corporate Affairs, Red Stripe.
The forum is part of Red Stripe’s annual Enjoy Responsibly Day (ER Day) activities, held to advance the beer company’s pledge to encourage legal drinkers to Drink and Live Responsibly.
“As a society, we have to start with acknowledging the cultural issues, and the reasons people misuse alcohol. It starts with education and then the appreciation that it’s everybody’s fight — government, civil society, parents, retailers as well as manufacturers. We have access to a whole lot of research and best practices from across the world, and much of it speaks to collaboration among sectors and stakeholders for sustainable solutions,” Ashton Smith asserted.
ER Day is strategically executed during the period leading up to Christmas and into the New Year, with a call to action for responsible living now.