In further demonstration of its commitment to the responsible use of alcohol in society, 28 schools in Lagos, Nigeria, have benefitted from an innovative corporate social responsibility project by Guinness Nigeria Plc tagged SMASHED. Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, The SMASHED Project is a live theatre/drama performance delivered to 14 – 17 year olds (SS1 – SS3 students) in government and private schools across Lagos State by professional actors, along with follow-up interactive workshops. The initiative took into consideration the Nigerian culture by engaging young people in a safe and motivational learning environment, enabling them to understand the consequences of underage and binge drinking. Speaking at the event, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Peter Ndegwa, stated that the company’s Underage Alcohol education programme is aimed at reducing the incidence of alcohol related harm amongst young people. “Between the ages of 14 and 17, young people are most vulnerable to different societal burdens such as peer pressure and the need to fit in; this sometimes causes them to make uninformed decisions ,” Ndegwa said. According to him, schools are an important setting for interventions aimed at shaping behaviour among youths because no other community institution has as much continuous and intensive contact with young people. “And this is why Guinness Nigeria decided to implement the SMASHED programme in 28 government and private schools across Lagos state,” Mr. Ndegwa reiterated. He added: “In every country, Diageo works with reputable local organizations to deliver the SMASHED programme as our Diageo Marketing Code restricts us from engaging with persons under the legal purchase age of 18+. As a result, Guinness Nigeria did not interface directly with any of the schools during the implementation of the SMASHED programme as we partnered with Collingwood Learning and Rue 14 Studios in Nigeria to deliver the programme.”
