NCPADD President wants end to ads promoting alcohol and tobacco use

The president of the Caribbean arm of the International Commission for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drug Dependency has called for a ban on prime time commercials promoting alcohol and tobacco use.{{more}}

Barbadian Victor Roach, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines last week for a series of lectures to young people, made the call for restrictions on commercials that are aired during a period when teenagers and young children may be viewing or listening.

In an interview with SEARCHLIGHT, Roach suggested that advertisements which promote alcohol and tobacco use should be aired at later times during broadcasts.

“I’ve watched the television here and I am concerned at the ads being placed by the alcohol industry…..

“Those ads affect young people.”

The veteran advocate, who has had close to four decades in the fight against alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse, said that he believes that steps should be taken to deter young people and even adults from using the socially acceptable substances.

He noted that the calls for the introduction of labels to be placed on some of these commercials, indicating their often times destructive side effects.

“There should be labels on the containers… they should be huge and take up a large side of the tobacco box; they should be rotated so people won’t get used to them, and they must be graphic so that people could see some people who’ve lost their teeth, limbs, or who are suffering from the various forms of cancer because of tobacco use.”

According to Roach, these suggestions have been endorsed by international bodies, including the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control and the World Health Organization.

While here, Roach, who is also a motivational speaker, spoke to students at the Mountain View Adventist Academy, the Hope Junior High School, a number of youth church groups, radio programs and was a part of the march and rally, organized by the Marriaqua Seventh Day Adventist Church promoting a healthy, drug free society.

“We believe that alcohol and drugs have the capacity to undermine the function of the economy and state of St. Vincent, and we must do everything in our power to make St. Vincent a place of priority in doing business with the rest of the world.”(JJ)