The Effectiveness of Brewers’ “Responsible Drinking Messages” to Fight against Alcohol Abuse among Students of Higher Education Institutions in Buea, Cameroon

When the World Health Organisation (WHO) observed that alcohol abuse had become a global pandemic, it invited its member states in 2005 to fight against the phenomenon by regulating the marketing and sales activities of the alcohol industry. Faced with this stigmatisation, Breweries in Cameroon decided to join the fight against alcohol abuse by tucking the words “Drink Responsibly” to their classical brand advertisements. Irrespective of the dissemination of these advertisements, scholars observed that the per capita volume of alcohol consumed worldwide is still higher than the WHO recommended volume. The WHO thereafter recommended that such moderation interventions should constantly be evaluated. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Brewers’ Responsible Drinking Messages (RDMs) among students of Higher Education Institutes in Buea. It employed a quantitative approach and survey method. The sample of 774 respondents was selected through multiple non-probability sampling techniques from the University of Buea (UB), Catholic University Institute of Buea (CUIB) and Higher Institute of Business Management and Technology (HIBMAT). Descriptive and inferential analyses (ANOVA, Chi square and regression) were conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21.0. The findings reveal that 774 (100%) respondents are significantly aware of the dissemination of RDMs, 668 (86.3%) understand what brewers mean by “Drink Responsibly” and 471(60.9%) feel that the RDMs are not convincing or credible tools for the fight against alcohol abuse. They think RDMs are not effective because “there is still excessive drinking” taking place in Cameroon, especially amongst students at Higher Education Institutes. The paper, therefore, recommends that the government of Cameroon should rigorously regulate the marketing andsales of beer brands while Brewers should produce separate messages that should bedisseminated with an equal share of voice for beer brand advertisements and “Responsible Drinking” campaigns.

Keywords: Effectiveness, Brewers’ Responsible Drinking Messages, Alcohol Abuse, Higher Education Institutes.