The Ministry of Health in Jamaica through the National Strategic and Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of non-communicable diseases plans to reduce the harmful consumption of alcohol by three per cent by 2018. The plan has been approved by Cabinet.
This was stated by Health Minister Fenton Ferguson at a National Alcohol Policy Workshop, on Tuesday.
He pointed out that through various stakeholders, the ministry plans to implement the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations for the reduction of the harmful use of alcohol as well as implement a social marketing campaign designed to discourage harmful use of alcohol, and raise public awareness, especially among the youth, about alcohol-related health risks, including cancer.
Quoting statistics related to the use of alcohol by adolescents, the minister said that alcohol remains the most widely used substance among adolescents.
