Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL), Ghana Leading Total Beverage Business has launched the 4th edition of the ‘Twa Kwano Mmom’ Don’t Drink and Drive campaign.

Twa Kwano Mmom is a behavioural change programme aimed at reducing the incidence of drink driving among commercial drivers. The campaign which begun 4 years ago, has been supported by the National Road Safety Commission and Police MTTD to help curb road damages, especially during festive seasons.

The first 3 years of the campaign focused on reaching commercial drivers to educate them against drink driving, marked the first phase of the project. The second phase which starts in the 4th year is focused on enforcement in collaboration with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, to run random breathalyser tests in the various bus terminals and on selected roads to check drivers who engage in drink driving.

Speaking at the launch, Controls Compliance and Ethics Director of GGBL, Helen Opoku-Agyeman said, “Twa Kwano Mmom sits under Goal 12 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) – specifically – Responsible Production and Consumption. Indirectly, we support 3 other goals of the UNSDGs. We believe it’s the right thing to do, to educate our consumers on the responsible consumption of alcohol. We will stay committed to the cause of reducing drink driving and will continue to work with all stakeholders such as the National Road Safety Commission and Police in their effort to do same.”

Director of Programmes and Planning at the National Road Safety Commission, Ing. David Adonteng who was the guest speaker at the event, reiterated the Commission's support for the programme, “I’m encouraged by the presence of the number of commercial drivers present at this launch. This shows their dedication to issues of road safety. I commend GGBL for their consistency in the organisation of this event. The attendant effects of driving under the influence of alcohol include speeding, impairment and wrongful overtaking which leads to accidents on our roads. It is in line with this that drink driving must be taken seriously. ‘Twa Kwano Mmom’ which literally means ‘go the distance instead’ communicates to the motorist to abstain from alcohol and concentrate on the journey”.

In a speech read on his behalf, Director-General of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department, ACP Patrick Sarpong added, “Many people were initially not interested in road safety discussions as they thought that drivers and the Police were responsible for their safety to their destinations. But now the public have come to accept and appreciate the fact that road safety is a shared responsibility. It is for this same reason that GGBL has thought it wise and desirable to play a role in ensuring safety on our roads. It is our hope that during the period, drivers and the motoring public including pedestrians will abide by traffic rules and regulations to avoid road traffic crashes.”

In 2012, Diageo (GGBL’s parent company) together with 12 other global drinks companies signed up to the CEO’s commitments – a set of 5 commitments to reduce alcohol abuse.

GGBL’s Alcohol in Society programme is shaped by these commitments and research to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation. The programme has run for 3 consecutive years and recorded impressive results including a +176% jump in the number of drivers who participated and a leap from 6,430  breathalyser tests in the first year to over 30,000 breathalyser tests in the 3rd year.