Globally, alcohol consumption contributes to the premature death of millions of persons on an annual basis, and in Guyana, the excess use of alcoholic substances results in further complications of illness as well as fatal accidents countrywide.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, at a recent medical conference held at the Texila American University, stated that Guyana is internationally and locally recognised as a “rum-producing country” but that more stringent measures have to be put in place to safeguard citizens of all ages against the harmful effects of consuming alcohol.
“…in our deliberations, with the agreement from the Spirit and Wine industry participants who we encouraged to work together with us, to come up with a strategy. The focus for excessive alcohol consumption will be on avoiding persons, especially underage persons, access to alcohol. So, any sale to minors will be a no-no, we should all be the Police Officers ensuring that this does not happen,” Dr Shamdeo said.
He stated that the culture of many Guyanese is to have alcoholic beverages at social or celebratory events but that adults need to desist from exposing children to such liquids for various reasons.
“I implore on parents to please don’t serve alcohol to your underage children even if it is a birthday party. Now we are in the Christmas season, that will be a regular part of every event to have a few drinks but please make sure that we don’t serve alcohol to our underage students,” the CMO urged.
Teen alcohol consumption
Meanwhile, Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) Resident Representative in Guyana, Dr William Adu-Krow, took the opportunity to disclose startling statistics about the prevalence of children using alcohol on a regular basis in Guyana.
He stated that a recent survey conducted revealed that of the scores of 14-year-old students interviewed, 39.2 per cent of them reported that he/she consumed at least one alcoholic beverage within a 30-day period.
A whopping 79 per cent of the students who participated in the survey stated that they had consumed their first alcoholic beverage before the age of 14.
Additionally, the PAHO/WHO Resident Representative added that even among adults, the statistics focused on alcohol consumption are soaring.
“It is estimated at 36 per cent for us (adults) here in Guyana. That is definitely too high”.
Online initiative
Earlier this year, PAHO, worried that the rates of alcohol disorders among women are much higher in the Caribbean in comparison to other regions across the globe, launched a new initiative online with the hope of providing healthcare workers with technical skills needed to identify and address alcohol consumption in expectant mothers and women in the reproductive ages.
According to a Caribbean media report, this online course, “Women’s health and pregnancy: holistic approaches to preventing problems relating to prenatal exposure to alcohol”, will provide health workers with the latest, evidence-based information on health promotion strategies for pregnancy, the early detection of alcohol use in pregnancy and how to support women to reduce alcohol use.
“Alcohol use in pregnancy presents a significant risk for both pregnant women and their foetus, leading to a number of negative outcomes such as miscarriage, low birth weight and preterm birth, and can lead to foetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which are irreversible,” Senior Advisor on Alcohol and Substance Abuse at PAHO, Dr Maristela Monteiro, had stated.
It is vital, she added, that healthcare workers have access to the latest research in order to implement appropriate interventions before women become pregnant, as this will ensure the best outcomes for mother and child.
PAHO had reported that historically, men have been the “bigger consumers” of alcohol and suffer from more alcohol-induced consequences but there has been an increase of females who drink larger amounts of alcohol and more often.
“This is particularly significant in the Americas, where 3.2 per cent of women aged 15 years and older are estimated to have an alcohol use disorder, which is two and a half times the global average of 1.3 per cent. This puts them at increased risk of a number of other health problems, including breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. It is more difficult to reduce or stop drinking when a disorder already exists, and even more difficult during pregnancy”.
It said globally, the prevalence of alcohol use in pregnancy among the general population is 9.8 per cent, while in the Americas, including the Caribbean, this figure is 11.2 per cent.
