J Wray & Nephew Limited (JWN), the leading producer of spirits in Jamaica, Thursday announced its 2023 responsible drinking campaign, “Party Proppa”, which it said is one tool in the company’s arsenal for encouraging responsible consumption of alcohol by individuals over the legal drinking age of 18.

The campaign occurs biannually and JWN said that as responsible corporate citizens, it is joining forces with key stakeholders and institutional partners to implement responsible practices to safeguard consumers.

The “Party Proppa” campaign, said a JWN release, encourages responsible drinking by educating individuals so they can make informed choices about their alcohol consumption. The company said it is committed to playing an active role in minimising alcohol-related harm in Jamaica and believes that education and awareness are key to achieving this goal.

According to the release, the WHO Global Status Report, 2018, showed that heavy episodic drinking (HED) fell by more than seven per cent in the Americas between 2010 and 2016, and nearly five per cent globally. “Not only is the prevalence of current drinkers going down in some parts of the world but, even among those who continue to drink, the prevalence of individuals drinking in heavy drinking sessions is decreasing,” said the report.

And based on a more recent study on the World Population Review on ‘Alcohol by Consumption by Country in 2023’, Jamaica has one of the lowest alcohol consumptions in the Americas and in the Caribbean at 4.16 litres of pure alcohol per capita.

“We are proud of the progress that we have made, and we are very encouraged by the findings of the WHO Global Health Report,” said JWN’s Senior Public Affairs and Sustainability Director Tanikie McClarthy Allen. “We recognise that the work doesn’t stop here, and this campaign is another step in the right direction to self-regulate by players in the spirits industry. With the reopening of the entertainment industry, we decided to take the messaging outside and to reinforce the safe practices. This year we started with teasers at Reggae Sumfest and Dream Weekend, two of summer’s biggest parties.

“We will continue with an energised campaign via our digital channels and for the first time, JWN will be taking our responsible drinking campaign directly to the trade,” she said.