Letters - Jamaica's alcohol policy

Dear Dr Abel,

We refer to your November, 2010 article in The Gleaner inviting comments on the proposed review of Jamaica's alcohol-use policy.

The Jamaica Alcohol Beverage Association (JABA) is an industry association representing producers, distributors and marketers of beverage alcohol products in Jamaica.

JABA welcomes this initiative, and we feel very strongly that an organisation such as ours has a key role to play in this alcohol-policy review.

At the 63rd meeting of the World Health Assembly in Geneva in May 2010, a resolution was adopted on the 'Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful use of Alcohol', which Jamaica supported. Sections 14, 18 and 45 of that Global Strategy call for and emphasise the importance of including the local beverage-alcohol industry in formulating the alcohol policies of each member country.

The members of JABA are prepared to work in collaboration with government, its ministries, agencies and departments, non-governmental organisations and other interested parties to reduce the harmful use of beverage-alcohol products, and to assist in formulating an appropriate alcohol policy for Jamaica.

For your information, JABA has recently developed a draft Code of Marketing Communications Practice (the Code) to provide guidance to its members involved in the marketing of beverage-alcohol products in Jamaica, and the Code covers many of the issues raised in your Gleaner article.

Our members undertake to conduct their advertising and marketing practices in accordance with the laws of Jamaica and within the framework of the Code, in order to discourage the harmful use of alcohol and encourage responsible drinking.

We look forward to continuing the dialogue.

Noel daCosta

Chairman

Jamaica Alcohol Beverage

Association.

c/o The Jamaica Chamber of

Commerce,

Suite 13-15, UDC Office Centre

Building

12 Ocean Boulevard,

Kingston

Send questions and comments to our health specialists at Your Health, c/o The Gleaner, 7 North Street, Kingston; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com. Unless otherwise indicated, letters and the specialists' responses are usually published.