Stakeholders at the 2023 International Breweries’ Smart Drinking Roundtable Session have urged Nigerians to embrace responsible drinking habits.
According to a statement from the brewery, the event took place in Port Harcourt recently and was themed ‘Exploring Strategies to Promote Responsible Drinking Habits and Reduce the Negative Impact of Excessive Alcohol Consumption.’
The International Breweries’ responsible beverage service is an intervention programme in Nigeria with the objective to contribute to the reduction of alcohol-related harms caused by drunk driving, underage drinking, binge drinking, gender-based violence and alcohol consumption by pregnant women.
The Corporate Communications Manager, International Breweries, Eniola Alli-Faweya, said the company shared the ambition of the United Nations and the World Health Organisation to reduce the harmful use of alcohol around the world.
The keynote speaker and President of the Society for Adolescent and Young People’s Health in Nigeria, Professor Adesegun Fatusi, emphasised the need for collaboration between government bodies, non-governmental organisations, and vibrant communities to promote responsible drinking and take momentous actions to curtail detrimental alcohol consumption.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Adebiyi Olufunsho, who was represented by the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Taiye Ologun, said, “The role of corporate organisations like International Breweries in promoting responsible alcohol consumption through evidence-based initiatives is highly encouraged.”
The firm said the event was used to launch the second round of its responsible beverage service after the maiden event, which was held in Lagos last year.
