by Nuri Muhammad
Sunday, April 27, 2025
A recent study published in Nature Magazine and reported by the Associated Press estimates that the world’s 111 largest corporations have caused $28 trillion in climate damage. Over half of that is tied to just ten major fossil fuel companies. Despite overwhelming evidence of harm, corporations rarely volunteer information that would incriminate them, often deploying teams of lawyers to defend their profits and civic image—while victims are left to bear the social, economic, and health consequences.
This pattern is not new. In the United States, tobacco giant Philip Morris spent decades denying the deadly effects of smoking before being forced to pay over $200 billion in a historic settlement with U.S. states. In another case, Ford Motor Company knowingly released the Pinto car with a dangerously flawed gas tank, deciding it was cheaper to pay for deaths than to fix the defect. Only public outrage and massive lawsuits forced these companies to reckon with the human cost of their ‘profit over people’ decisions.
Today, a similar story is unfolding in the Caribbean—but this time with the alcohol industry.
Alcohol and the Caribbean economy: A double-edged sword
Major alcohol producers such as Bacardi (Puerto Rico), Carib Brewery (Trinidad and Grenada), Appleton Estate (Jamaica), and Angostura (Trinidad) contribute significantly to local economies, including Belize’s. They provide employment, generate tax revenue, and support tourism. Yet the devastating social costs—alcoholism, domestic violence, drunk-driving fatalities, and youth addiction—are rarely acknowledged, much less addressed.
No major alcohol company operating in the Caribbean or Belize has been held legally accountable for the harm linked to its products. Their contributions to national economies are celebrated, but the consequences they leave behind are borne by communities struggling with the fallout.
In Belize, the most current National Drug Abuse Control Council (NDACC) reports a troubling rise in alcohol use among youth. Between 2020 and 2022, alcohol use among adolescents reached 75%, before dropping slightly to 52% in 2024. Most concerning is the sharp rise in alcohol use among young girls, a demographic now prioritized for intervention by NDACC.
Alcohol remains a major factor in road deaths. In 2020, almost half of Belize’s 162 recorded traffic fatalities involved alcohol. In 2024, drunk-driving remained a leading cause among the 108 road deaths, especially among motorcyclists.
Regional campaigns promoting “responsible drinking” are rolled out, but deeper accountability for alcohol-related social destruction is missing. In fact, a regional study revealed, corporate responsibility programs (CRP) in the alcohol sector often function more as marketing strategies than serious efforts to confront public health crises.
The Caribbean’s alcohol industry today mirrors the behavior of the big tobacco producers and negligent auto manufacturers: profits first, people second. Without public pressure and stronger political will, companies will continue to deflect responsibility for the damage linked to their products.
The Caribbean stands at a crossroads. It can choose to protect corporate profits, or it can choose to protect the future of our people. History shows that without bold action, corporate accountability remains an illusion.