AB InBev creates new programs discouraging harmful drinking
Basketball star Yao Ming helps to launch campaign in talk to Jiangshan students
Yao Ming, the former NBA basketball player, put his athletic fame to work in support of China’s first intervention program for reducing the harmful use of alcohol.
The project has been launched by AnheuserBusch InBev, the world’s largest brewer by revenue.
Yao, one of China’s most recognizable figures, showed up earlier this month in the Second Middle School in Jiangshan, of East China’s Zhejiang province, to help launch a program demonstrating the dangers of underage alcohol drinking.
Though the law is well known, Yao said: “Teenage drinking (of ) alcohol still happens from time to time, due to the pressure from peers or family, or even teenage psychological issues.”
Yao gave a vivid lecture on the subject to the students, showcasing some tactics he would use to turn down the offer of drinks.
“I will straightforwardly tell them I’m not drinking today, or I will invite them to tea instead,” Yao said, sparking laughter from the class.
“I think teenagers can be more convincing than their parents sometime,” Yao added. “That’s why we need to encourage them to help each other stay strong to the temptation and even teach their parents the dangers of drink-and-drive.”
According to AB InBev’s baseline study done in Jiangshan, many parents don’t understand the importance of China’s legal drinking age and thought it was not a bad thing for kids to sip their first beer before they can legally consume alcohol at age 18.
“After a year of preparation, we will launch a series of events to reduce the harmthe ful use of alcohol,” said Frank Wang, vice-president of AB InBev Legal & Corporate Affairs, APAC North. “We will focus on preventing teenagers from drinking and enhancing (existing) education” to help people understand the dangers of harmful drinking.
Wang said the company would also keep monitoring the effect of the project. In the following two years, the company will team up with local government and China Alcoholic Drinks Association to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and turn Jiangshan into the first pilot city in the ongoing project.
Shu Chang, mayor of the city, said the project is an experiment to turn Jiangshan into a healthier place through innovation and science.
The company has set up the first intervention center on reducing the harmful use of alcohol. It includes an exhibition and an interactive activities zone, featuring virtual reality equipment to simulate the experience of drinking and driving. It also invited a team of experts for the locals to consult.
The project will last for 48 days around 25 counties and villages in Jiangshan, reaching about 10,000 local residents.
During the campaign, AB InBev has also released its underage alcohol literacy education publication, which has been officially accepted as a compulsory part of local education system in selected schools. The company has also developed materials to equip the local teachers with adequate knowledge.“Bringing people together for a better world is what AB InBev has been working for,” Wang said, “We brew premium beer and we wish our customers can drink them responsibly.”
Wang said it is a mission for companies in the same line of work to promote healthy and smart-drinking behavior to the masses.
Supported by more than 26,000 employees in China, AB InBev has invested more than $3 billion in the country since 1995. It will invest at least $1 billion across its markets in dedicated social marketing campaigns and related programs globally by the end of 2025.
They will include a project involving nine pilot cities across the world, including Jiangshan and Leuven in Belgium, to reduce the harmful use of alcohol by at least 10 percent by 2020.
I will straightforwardly tell them I’m not drinking today, or I will invite them to tea instead.”
Yao Ming,