J Wray & Nephew Limited’s (JWN) responsible drinking campaign, titled ‘Party Proppa’, is now being promoted islandwide as the spirits producer steps up its self-regulation efforts in line with international best practices.

Launched on August 4, 2023, the campaign has seen more than 10,000 outlets across the company’s extensive trade network, including community bars, wholesale and retail shops, receiving point of sales materials such as posters, mats, coasters, and tent cards promoting responsible drinking among consumers.

“Over the years JWN has collaborated with the bar community to develop and deploy educational resources and training on responsible serving and consumption practices. We want consumers to be able to fully enjoy our brands, experiencing a perfect pour on each drinking occasion and savouring our quality products in a manner that helps them maintain their dignity and does not jeopardise their safety or health,” a company release quotes director of customer and channel marketing Leleika-Dee Barnes.

“The 2023 campaign is yet another way in which we are living our values and providing leadership in the corporate social responsibility space,” Barnes added.

Pointing to World Bank data on Alcohol Consumption by Country in 2023, JWN said its self-regulation efforts appear to be bearing fruit as data reveal that Jamaica has one of the lowest alcohol consumption rates in the Americas and in the Caribbean at 4.16 litres of pure alcohol per capita.

The company said that self-regulation has been advocated by the local industry for many years with firms signing to several codes of conduct governing their advertising and promotional activities.

“The result is an engaged and proactive industry that is voluntarily adhering to stricter measures designed to protect their customer base. This contrasts with other countries that have adopted stricter measures to no avail,” JWN said.

The company highlighted a recent report on alcohol advertising entitled ‘What Does the evidence show, 2023’ published by Christopher Snowden, which said that, “The empirical results do not support the notion that bans of broadcast advertising of alcoholic beverages will reduce consumption or alcohol abuse. The evidence indicates that a complete ban of broadcast advertising of all beverages has no effect on consumption relative to countries that do not ban broadcast advertising.”

The Proppa Vibes campaign features entertainer and social media influencer Wayne Mitchell; strong, visually appealing graphics; and an anthem by popular dancehall artiste La Lee which reinforces the campaign’s five key messages: ‘Don’t drink while pregnant’, ‘Don’t drink and drive’, ‘Drink water between alcoholic drinks’, ‘Eat before consuming alcohol’, and ‘Must be 18 years or older to drink.’