Members of the Spirits Pool Association (SPA), (or the Association of Jamaican Rum Producers), Jamaica Beer Wines, and Spirits Network and the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce met recently, with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) regarding its new policy on donations from the sector.

The SPA is seeking a moderation of the position of the Ministry of Health and Wellness which in mid-October prohibited all agencies, officials or employees of the ministry from accepting donations, sponsorship, gifts, services or assistance in cash or kind from tobacco or alcohol-producing companies or their subsidiaries with immediate effect.

From the meeting, MOHW head Dr Christopher Tufton advised industry members that if they wish to contribute to the COVID-19 fight they could do so through the National Health Fund, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), or the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund.

Christopher Gentles, chairman of the SPA, announced that, consistent with the wishes of the Minister of Health and Wellness, the spirits sector would no longer contribute to the health sector and the COVID-19 response.

Tufton in October credited his move to the position taken by the World Health Organization (WHO) and later indicated that consumption of the products have increased under COVID-19 conditions.

The October memo stated, “Jamaica as a signatory to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control agreed to the implementation of key provisions under this global treaty, which includes, among other things, a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion.”

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer following the meeting, Tufton stated, “I think clarity was brought to the positions of both sides; public health and what we represent and why, and the alcohol industry. There was a commitment to continue stakeholder dialogue in the future, particularly in light of the process now taking place to develop a green paper on the industry.”

A draft Harmful Use of Alcohol Policy, approved by Cabinet in June this year, speaks to a policy objective to reduce alcohol advertising by preventing and/or reducing promotions, sponsorship and any advertising targeting youth.

The Draft Alcohol Policy is slated to be amended to include prevention of donations to government institutions, officials or employees.

SPA General Manager Christopher Gentles told the Sunday Finance, “The minister clarified that the problem with the donation was the manner of the promotion on the hospital compound with the branding of the alcohol company. He stated that as long as he was the portfolio minister of Health and Wellness it was critical that the health sector had the moral authority to make policy and therefore could not allow for the policy to be undermined by the media coverage on the hospital compound.”

The minister further stated that there was a significant effort by WHO and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to reduce the impact of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and that new policies are being drafted to deal with these. There is new legislation being debated in Parliament with regard to the tobacco companies.

He stated that 80 per cent of the resources of the health sector is targeted at battling NCDs such as diabetes and hypertension, which can both be triggered by alcohol abuse.