Dear Editor,

TWO different letters appearing in the 14th July issue of both the Kaieteur News and the Stabroek News appear to equate alcoholism with the drinking of rum, as opposed to other forms of alcohol, such as beer, vodka and whisky. The letter in Kaieteur News, signed “Caribbean Voice, New York”, is titled Rum and Social Responsibilities, while the one in Stabroek News is signed by Annan Boodram and is titled “Alcoholism is at the core of many social pathologies in Guyana”.Both letters detail the numerous problems associated with overindulgence in alcohol. I have no quarrel with this postulation; however, to convey the impression that it is only “rum drinking that causes alcoholism”, which is the clear slant given by both articles by implication as well as by direct statements, is wrong. As a matter of fact, their aspersion against rum versus other alcoholic drinks is tantamount to shooting ourselves in the foot. For example, sentences like “…statistics show that the Guyanese drinking culture (rum culture) where most persons ‘drink to get drunk’, frequently at excessive and harmful levels is associated with many forms of entertainment and participation in social events” clearly point the alcoholism finger unfairly at rum and rum only. Besides, such myopia and bias can be considered anti-nationalistic, having regard to the fact that Guyana Rum has captured the world’s attention as top class; indeed, the ‘the best’ in many respects, and its contribution to our national treasury cannot be ignored.

I have no brief for the rum companies in Guyana, and I am not in any way promoting the drinking of rum; all I am trying to do is to remind our compatriots of incontrovertible facts. Besides, I am no ‘prude’; I do enjoy a drink or more of rum, Guyana rum. As a matter of fact, my friends will corroborate the fact that when I was in the UN, and therefore entitled to duty free privileges which allowed me to buy expensively-priced wines and whisky at duty free prices, which were lower than the price payable for rum, I still drank rum. Indeed, I am often frustrated by the absence of rum at social occasions, where it appears that rum is scoffed at in preference for vodka, whisky and beer. Only this week, at a public function attended by several dignitaries, including a Minister of Government, I openly ‘reprimanded’ the host for not having any rum but only vodka, whisky and beer.

I am of the view that Guyanese, by and large, drink much more vodka and beer than they drink rum.

Let us not denigrate our ‘national’ drink, our national product. If we must –- indeed, we certainly MUST — attack ‘alcoholism’ and promote ‘responsible drinking’, let us do so without demonizing rum.
Yours truly,
NOWRANG PERSAUD