The Beer Sectoral Group (BSG) of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) launched the 4th edition of its SMASHED Project on the 7th of July 2022 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
According to this report, in Nigeria, alcohol is the sixth leading risk factor contributing to most death and disability and the alcohol-attributable deaths in both sexes for liver cirrhosis, road traffic accidents, and cancer in 2016 was 42,120; 15,365 and 4687 respectively.
Also, a BusinessDay report indicates that while the legal drinking age in Nigeria is 18, however, from available research, there seems to be a consensus that many young people between the ages of 10 and 17 are prone to consuming alcohol as well as engaging in other forms of substance abuse.
Thus, the SMASHED Project, as an annual BSG campaign against underage alcohol consumption deserves your attention too.
The campaign is delivered using thought-provoking drama and interactive workshops to engage adolescents, encouraging them to take a firm stance against underage drinking.
The SMASHED Project is an initiative of Collingwood Learning UK and is delivered in Nigeria by the BSG, an association of brewers in Nigeria, currently comprising Guinness Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc and International Breweries Plc.
Speaking of what BSG aims to achieve with the SMASHED Project, the Chairman of the Beer Sectoral Group, Baker Magunda said,
“The campaign against underage drinking is only a part of a broader contribution of the BSG to the discourse on the harmful use of alcohol. As a socially responsible sector, the BSG will continue to campaign against the harmful use of alcohol and will be glad to partner with and support the government in this regard, as the opportunities arise.
The SMASHED Project was introduced in Nigeria in 2018 and has so far been delivered in Lagos, Abuja FCT, Ogun, Edo, Enugu, Anambra, Oyo, Delta, Kwara and Akwa-Ibom states, covering over 100 different localities, both urban and rural.
In Nigeria, the SMASHED Project has been delivered to over 65,000 students in over 350 public and private schools and has enjoyed the immense cooperation of the Federal and State Ministries of Education, as well as principals, teachers, guidance counsellors and students – with more of them understanding the risk factors associated with underage drinking and how to detect and prevent such risks from materializing.
The BSG plans to continue to deliver the SMASHED Projects on an annual basis, with a commitment to ensuring that more young Nigerians are poised to making positive choices with regards to their wellbeing.
Other social initiatives of the BSG include its annual Don’t Drink & Drive campaign aimed at educating the general public on the dangers of drink-driving and delivered using motor park rallies and billboard campaigns. The Don’t Drink & Drive campaign has so far been delivered in Lagos, Abuja, and Port-Harcourt and has included the donation of breathalysers by the BSG to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
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