It is “after hours”, and party goers are gathered at various locations, drink in hand, music pumping and waistline ‘pelting’. This scene is more likely during the highly-anticipated and party-filled Crop Over season in Barbados, when there is greater alcohol consumption and even more gyrating.
Fun, fete and frolic – the top priorities, especially at night, for anyone who takes in any of the numerous activities across the island during the ‘sweetest summer festival’, which runs from mid-May to the first Monday in August.
One of the considerations each year though, is that of safety; not only as it relates to security, but getting from one location to another including getting home or leaving one party to attend.
For the second year, the unexpected partnership between rum producer Mount Gay Distillery Ltd, the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) is back joined by taxi hailing company PickUp Barbados, to promote responsible alcohol consumption and safe travelling for the remainder of the season.
Through the Know Your Limit initiative, partygoers over the next four weeks will have the opportunity to leave their vehicles at the party location and use a PickUp Barbados taxi to get home if too much alcohol has been consumed.
At the same time, individuals will have the opportunity to learn more about the negative impact of consuming alcohol while they are at various party locations or bars across the island, all in an effort to control over-indulging.
It involves the strategic placement of posters relating to alcohol consumption and the barcodes to access the PickUp Barbados app for a taxi.
The initiative, which was launched on Wednesday and will run until August 7, will also see the roll-out of several media campaigns by the NCSA and Mount Gay including facts on alcohol.
Alcohol consumption remains one of the top addictions for which individuals in Barbados continue to seek help, with one in four turning to the Drug Rehabilitation Unit of the Psychiatric Hospital for assistance.
With the noted spike in consumption during the festival season, officials are hoping that the initiative, which now includes the taxi option, will manage that spike and eliminate any vehicular accidents.
There is no readily available data on vehicular accidents in Barbados as a result of alcohol consumption. However, during the launch of the initiative at the Mount Gay Visitors’ Centre earlier this week, Deputy Manager at the NCSA Troy Wickham said a 2021 research found alcohol consumption to be one of the top addictions in Barbados for which individuals seek treatment.
While opting not to say exactly how many people sought help in 2021, he explained that 40 per cent of those individuals requested treatment for alcohol use at the Psychiatric Hospital’s unit, 33 per cent went for treatment at the Centre for Counselling Addiction Support Alternatives, 21 per cent sought help from the Substance Abuse Foundation while the remainder turned to the NCSA for help.
“We understand that people do use alcohol. However, we want them to do it in a responsible and proper manner and a safe way,” he said, as he welcomed the Know Your Limit scheme.
“Though we see it as a concern, it is important for us to share information and give people the facts. We also recognise that males are presenting themselves more to treatment facilities for alcohol use. This does not mean that females do not have a problem as well,” Wickham added.
“We want people to know that there is a place for help. We are here to help,” he said, adding that it was affecting people from many age ranges.
Shanice Niles, Trade Marketing Manager at Mount Gay, said the rum producer usually notes an increase in product sales around the Crop Over season. However, she said as part of its corporate social responsibility, the company was committed to the campaign to encourage responsible drinking at events and getting home safely.
“We have always been very vocal in our messaging – communicating and advertising via various mediums such as traditional and digital media, large format signage, off-premise displays including secondary displays in supermarkets and posters in rum shops,” said Niles.
“Sales would definitely spike and with sales spiking we tend to be louder about our responsible consumption initiative as well.
She said the scheme, which started with just Mount Gay and the NCSA last year, received “very good” feedback from members of the public.
“We are very proud to offer a solution in the event that people do consume a little bit irresponsibly,” she said.
Director with PickUp Barbados David Hamel-Smith said he was excited about the partnership, stating that the taxi hailing service was “an obvious solution” to the problem of drunk driving.
“There are a number of ways for people to get home from partying when they have had a few drinks. We see PickUp as one of those obvious solutions so what we would like to do is spread the word that we are there as an option. There is no cost for the app,” he said. The company has over 260 registered drivers.
marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb ]]>
