Give Childhood a Chance and Keep Youth Drug Free!

In many countries, either no regulations on alcohol advertising exist or respective laws are not being enforced. This situation plays a major role in causing or worsening alcohol-related harm in a population.

This is especially valid in Africa, where many people are abstinent, yet the per-capita-consumption of people who consume alcohol is extremely high. To counter this development, it is crucial to protect people from early age on.

Besides restricting availability and raising prices, a key factor for protecting youth from alcohol harm is to put in place and enforce laws restricting alcohol advertising. “Any holistic approach in prevention work should include that”, says Patrick Adjei from Blue Cross Ghana.

Progress in this field of work comes from the national government – it is the body passing the respective laws. In its global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol the World Health Organization enumerates the marketing of alcoholic beverages as one of the key areas for national action.

Besides on the government level, alcohol marketing can be influenced on the local level: Municipalities can contribute in keeping youth away from alcohol advertising by banning it close to places frequented by them, e.g. playgrounds, soccer fields or schools.

Therefore, IBC´s approach to reduce harm inflicted by alcohol marketing is twofold: In its prevention programs in Chad and Congo IBC has formed a task force composed of NGO representatives and members of ministries influencing directly the policy-making of the government. On the local level IBC staff regularly meets with community leaders and municipality officials to sensitize on the role advertising plays in causing harm to young people.

Some African countries set an example. Revocatus Nginila, Project Coordinator of Blue Cross Tanzania and IBC Network Committee member points out, that his country´s government has passed several acts in 2003, 2005 and 2008 regulating alcohol advertising. He also emphasizes, that if an advertising ban on alcohol is in place, it is extremely difficult for beverage companies to establish a new product on the market. For them marketing is the key to success for making more profits and gaining new consumers. For us it is the opposite. Our role is to take their key away.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you sincerely for your generosity and your interest which enables us to pursue our path towards a free-addiction future.