Why we should inculcate responsible drinking into our culture

One of the most inevitable campaigns during the festive season is on responsible drinking. This is with the aim of curbing drunk driving, underage drinking and promoting the responsible consumption of alcohol.

With families gathering and young ones relishing meeting the aunts and uncles they have always admired, the unstated danger is underage drinking, which is most likely to start within the home.

A 2015 report by IPSOS Synovate indicated that 36.7 per cent of Kenyan children aged between 12 and 18 years had admitted to have tasted alcohol, with almost 50 per cent of them saying they received such from relatives at home.

Underage drinking

While a lot has been done to curb underage drinking, we are not yet there. Law enforcers are playing their part in ensuring children do not get access to alcohol, but there are still many reports of teenagers arrested in various stages of intoxication or in possession of alcohol and in bars.

It is a sign, perhaps, that we need to do more in the family unit to ensure children are not introduced to alcohol.

Are we doing enough to ensure children are not introduced to alcohol?

On the other hand, for those of us old enough to indulge, are we drinking responsibly?

It seems we have forgotten basic rules of alcohol consumption. For instance, how many remember to eat before drinking, pace ourselves with water between drinks and take a taxi home? These might sound very basic, but are indeed most effective in ensuring responsible drinking.

Challenge drivers

Other than ensuring consumers control their alcohol intake, something like taking a taxi home greatly reduces the number of accidents caused by drunk driving.

This is important as we get into the festive mood and many of us join our friends and loved ones to celebrate the year that has been. Let us challenge drivers to remain sober while behind the wheel, and condemn drunk driving.

Let us also not forget the need for continued collaboration with industry partners such as the National Police Service, National Transport and Safety Authority, retailers, alcohol manufactures and marketers. This is a key component in raising awareness and promoting behavior change.

Great strides

We have made great strides in promoting responsible drinking as we remain cognisant of the fact that abuse of alcohol can cause serious problems for individuals, communities and society. As an industry, it is our duty to promote only the responsible consumption of alcohol.

There is need for each one of us to play an active role in creating a responsible drinking culture. In addition to providing consumers with information and tools, they need to make informed choices about alcohol consumption; we have to commit to promote our products responsibly because, in the end, we all want to run a sustainable industry.

We are well aware that this cannot be an individual effort. This year, the Alcoholic Beverages Association of Kenya, the umbrella body for leading manufacturers and distributors in the country, committed to a Responsible Marketing Code.

This code gave guidance on how we sell and market our products to consumers. On a global scale, we are in support of the World Health Organisation’s target of reducing alcohol related harm by 10 per cent by 2025.

There is, however, more to be done. Tackling harmful drinking is something alcohol manufacturing and distributing companies should be committed to as it affects the sustainability of our business. We need to join hands and champion effective campaigns in order to promote responsible drinking.

However, the most important thing for us is to develop a culture that promotes and rewards responsible consumption of alcohol. Drinking should be reserved for people of the legal drinking age and should be done in the right circumstances.

Other stakeholders

Although this is not a sole responsibility of alcohol manufacturers and distributors, we stand to benefit the most from the establishment of such a culture. We have to play a leading role and gradually pull in other stakeholders who share the same dream as we do. Eventually, we will rally the support of the whole country and the region.

As manufactures and distributors of alcoholic beverages, we take pride in the drinks we produce and the enjoyment they bring to millions of people around the world. It will, therefore, bring us great joy to operate in a market that values responsible drinking and inculcates this in its culture.

Mr Kiniti is the Secretary of the Alcoholic Beverages Association of Kenya