Africa-Press – Uganda. The World Health Organisation [WHO] consultant for safer programmes to prevent harmful use of alcohol, Dr David Kalema, has asked legislators to speed up deliberations on the Alcohol Control Bill to tame the product’s enormous effects.
The Tororo District Woman Member of Parliament (MP), Ms Sarah Opendi Achieng, tabled this Bill, that seeks to strengthen the law on alcohol use in Uganda.
Dr Kalema said Ugandans are likely to experience more harm than good if measures on the use of alcohol are not formed because the country enjoys number one position in alcohol consumption in Africa.
‘’International studies indicate that Uganda is the number one country in Africa which consumes alcohol and number five globally, yet it causes several sufferings to people which continues to affect their life if the Act controlling its use is delayed,’’ Dr Kalema said on Tuesday while addressing stakeholders in Jinja City.
Jinja City is located a few kilometers from Nile Breweries which is one of the biggest alcohol producers in the country.
Also, several alcohol-manufacturing factories have cropped up in the city because of its history as an industrial centre due to the presence of hydro-electricity power and water bodies surrounding it.
According to Dr Kalema, alcohol consumption causes poverty, accidents, unemployment, diseases like cancer and mental disorders among others.
But despite such threats, he adds that people continue to “cherish” alcohol business more than their health.
‘’When you move around, you can see more bars everywhere without health facilities like pharmacies and clinics, yet alcohol is harmful; I wonder why this is done,’’ Dr Kalema said.
Dr Hafusa Lukwata, the assistant commissioner in-charge of mental health, alcohol and substances in the Ministry of Health, said mental disorders are becoming rampant due to excessive use of alcohol in the country.
He said: “We carried out a study that revealed that 30 percent of the population takes alcohol, but 10 percent of these develop mental disorders.”
She says the Ministry of Health proposed that alcohol should be sold in specific areas with licensed people and its advertisement be limited.
Alcohol consumption, she noted, is frustrating the government’s efforts to eradicate poverty because in addition to the money spent on its consumption, users become lazy at work, while others are chased from jobs due to excessive drinking.
Mr Yusuf Mwase, a resident of Kakira who describes himself as an “alcohol survivor”, says alcohol consumption made him unemployed, having lost his job as a village health team officer.
This is because he was not reporting on duty as he was drunk all the time, adding that his family almost broke down because he stopped paying fees, buying food and providing medical care.
Mr Mwase says his worst memory is when he missed a job interview at the defunct Crane Bank, when he woke up at 10am yet the interviews were scheduled for 9am.
Mr Mwase said after going through the effects of taking alcohol, he decided to throw away his sim cards in order to stop getting calls from colleagues inviting him for booze and has since become a teetotaler.
The shadow minister for Health and Jinja Southwest constituency MP, Dr Timothy Lusala Batuwa, said Parliament is in support of this Bill and it will be expedited.
Dr Batuwa said Parliament granted Ms Opendi leave to go and prepare details of the Bill which will be given priority upon return.
‘’As legislators, we are behind this Bill which I think may not even take us a day to pass if the mover of the motion comes back from leave which was granted to her for its preparation,” Dr Batuwa said.
Dr Batuwa added that people in the alcohol business are, however, mismuterpreting the Bill to be aimed at banning alcohol yet it only prohibits its use.
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