Intern’l Breweries educates consumers on smart drinking

To further demonstrate its commitment to responsible drinking in Nigeria, employees of International Breweries Plc took the message to consumers, traders and the public in communities where they operate across the country.

This is in contribution to the United Nations Goal 12 which is centred around responsible consumption and production and as part of activities to commemorate the Global Beer Responsible Day, an initiative conceptualised by its parent company AB InBev and celebrated across its operations worldwide.

The theme for this year’s edition, “Drink Smart Today, Celebrate Tomorrow, Let’s Champion Smart Drinking Together,” encourages consumers, bar owners and the public to make personal commitments around responsible drinking.

As part of this year’s  event, the company re-enforced its strong commitment to reduce harmful use of alcohol by educating consumers on the dangers of drinking and driving; marketing its products responsibly; and discouraging underage drinking and consumption of alcohol by pregnant women.

According to Annabelle Degroot, Managing Director, International Breweries, “We are always taking steps to shift social norms and behaviors around harmful use of alcohol and ensure every experience with beer is a positive one.

We’re committed to helping advance the World Health Organization’s target to reduce the harmful use of alcohol by 10 percent by 2025. Simultaneously, we aim to contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals of strengthening the prevention and treatment of harmful alcohol use. “Initiatives like the Global Beer Responsible Day and the Smashed Initiative are complementary projects which we think will do our society a lot of good in this regard,” She said.

Otunba Michael Daramola, Legal and Corporate Affairs Director said responsible drinking is one of the key pillars of IB’s business. “It is a message that is dear to us and we constantly make out time to communicate this message in our sphere of influence. The turnout of our employees was great and we visited a lot of bars in many communities where we operate to interact with consumers, traders and the general public on the best way to consume alcohol responsibly,” he said.

This year’s commemoration coincided with the company’s efforts under the auspices of the Beer Sectoral Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to reduce underage drinking.