The government will in the next few weeks issue a code of ethics that will provide guidelines on how to fulfil their social responsibility to all those engaged in commercial activities, the Parliamentary Secretary for Small Businesses, Edwin Vassallo said yesterday.
Mr Vassallo was speaking during an activity organised by Sedqa in collaboration with the Family and Social Solidarity Ministry, in Baystreet, promoting the concept that youths can have fun without alcohol.
The Underage Drinking Bill came into force on 1 July, banning youths under 16 years of age from consuming, buying or requesting someone to provide them with alcohol.
Mr Vassallo pointed out that although all commercial activities aimed to make a profit, profit was not everything.
“We should start focusing on fair profit – businesses have to ensure that the products they are selling will not be detrimental to their clients,” he said.
He emphasised the importance of promoting and respecting the value of life – especially for businesses.
“Businesses should develop a conscience in their commercial activity that values human life. For example, shop owners should not sell alcohol to people aged below 16 years – not only because now it is illegal but also because it is harmful to their health,” said Mr Vassallo.
Family and Social Solidarity Minister Dolores Cristina explained that Baystreet was chosen as the location for the activities as it was a popular place with youths.
She pointed out that the activity was organised to show youths, and people of all ages, that one did not need to drink alcohol in order to have fun.
“We want to send out a message to all society. While the law is important, what is more important is that everyone – young and old – know that they can have fun without alcohol,” said Mrs Cristina.
She said that an effective awareness campaign has been running for the past weeks and would continue in the future.
The minister urged youths to resist peer pressure and not to drink simply because their friends were doing so.
“Even though ‘no’ is one of the shortest words, it is one of the hardest to say. However, once you start, it becomes easier to say it over time,” said Mrs Cristina.
More importantly, she added, the law was not a deterrent to stop people from having fun.