The Ministry of Health unveiled a national plan to cut alcohol-related harm by one-tenth by 2030, signalling a government-wide push to curb drinking’s health and social costs despite cultural attitudes that normalise alcohol use.
The plan was announced by Minister of State of Health and Wellness, Davidson Ishmael, during a workshop hosted by the National NCD Commission on the commercial determinants of health, with a focus on alcohol and youth.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness
While alcohol consumption has become an accepted part of Barbadian life, the level of use and the harm that comes with it must be urgently addressed, he said.
“Within Barbados, we have become very accustomed to the use of alcohol. It has become one of those social elements that you will see when we get together as families, or even workmates; there’s usually some level of alcohol consumption that takes place. So this has become a cultural norm.”
But Ishmael warned that excessive drinking continues to have far-reaching consequences for individuals, families and the national healthcare system.
“We must face a difficult truth: alcohol-based and related harms are among the most preventable causes of death and disability in our island. Excessive drinking contributes to road traffic accidents, violence, domestic abuse, mental health issues, and a wide range of chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis, certain cancers and, of course, heart disease. Our national approach must therefore be culturally sensitive but uncompromising in its protection of health.”
The minister told Barbados TODAY that there is a growing link between alcohol use and acts of violence.
“We have situations where, unfortunately, when some people drink alcohol, they become more aggressive. That can lead to violence, to domestic abuse, and other problems,” he said, noting that these incidents not only destroy lives but also burden the healthcare and justice systems.
The new strategy will focus on reducing alcohol-related harm by ten per cent, with interventions targeting public education, early prevention, and stronger policies to control availability and marketing.
“While it is one of the aspects of our culture, we need to see how we can regulate and moderate the consumption of alcohol so that people are not excessive, and therefore face not only health consequences but also societal ones like accidents, violence, domestic abuse and other crimes,” Ishmael added.
Barbados’ National Strategic Plan for NCDs 2023 to 2030 builds on the World Health Organisation’s Global Action Plan for NCD Prevention and Control and the WHO’s SAFER technical package, a set of five high-impact strategies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.
According to Ishmael, the five strategies are:
– Strengthening restrictions on alcohol availability, including reviewing laws and licensing systems to ensure alcohol is not too easily accessible, especially to young people;
– Advancing and enforcing drink-driving countermeasures, such as fully implementing the country’s breathalyser legislation;
– Facilitating access to screening and treatment for alcohol use disorders so that the health system can provide help rather than punishment;
– Restricting alcohol advertising, sponsorship and promotion, particularly where young audiences are targeted; and
– Ensuring that alcohol taxation aligns with the evidence on reducing harmful consumption.
Chairman of the National NCD Commission, Suleiman Bulbulia, said Friday’s workshop followed two previous sessions: the HCC/PAHO regional meeting on the commercial determinants of NCDs and conflict of interest, and a youth-led forum on mental health, both of which highlighted the influence of commercial industries on public health.
Chairman of the NCD Commission Suleiman Bulbulia
He acknowledged that these are not easy discussions to have.
“Experience has shown that once we engage this subject, there is tremendous pushback from players in the commercial sector and industries who seek profit over public well-being,” Bulbulia said.
He added that for small island developing states like Barbados, the issue is made more complex by limited access to resources and small economies that have become commercially and culturally reliant on unhealthy products.
“Our society has found itself reliant, commercially and culturally, on products that are not advantageous to our health and well-being. Even in our health and wellness spaces, we see the influence of unhealthy food and beverage companies creeping in to provide funding and sponsorship where it’s argued that such resources cannot easily be accessed otherwise.”
Bulbulia urged NGOs and others to take a principled stance in refusing funding from entities that negatively affect public health, even if that decision is difficult.
“These are hard conversations we must have,” he said. “How do we get companies and organisations that are compliant and have the resources to be more involved in the health space? To shy away is to retreat, and we cannot afford to be silent. The health of our nation depends on all of us to speak and to advocate for policies that will bring about a change in mindset.”
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