Alcohol legislation should be in good faith

By Nsanja Patrick

The news of a private member’s Bill seeking to regulate alcohol consumption and production caught my eye, although at different wave length than that of the authors of the Bill.

A few months ago, when Uganda was named number one in alcohol consumption on the Africa continent, I saw opportunity rather than danger.

First of all, this news came at a time when the country was busy scratching heads trying to find monies to divert to different sectors amidst the development partners’ attempts to withhold a substantial amount of aid.

Bearing in mind the dangers alcohol has had on our community, and the need thus to regulate its consumption, taxation of the sector would be a fair and productive alternative for regulating consumption rather than legislation.

We should be made to understand the environment surrounding the rampant alcohol consumption and production in the country at large. Industrially, Ugandans possessed traditional alcohol /local brew production skills that have overtime emanated into some of the present day production industries we see on the market.

Alcohol production should be seen in the light of an angle of industrial evolution that has been embraced by several local producers and a multitude of local consumers who have supported its growth.

As such, being one of the highly locally embraced fields of investment and production at its infancy, room for growth and quality should be created. For instance, we should first find out why sachets have been preferred as a form for packaging rather than the glass bottles.

In my view, it should be because of the cost of packaging which is high and may be difficult to pass on to the low income consumer.

Secondly, we must also understand the role of alcohol as a socialising catalyst culturally and publicly. I have seen several tourists try out the local gins like Uganda waragi and some ask for some to take back home with.

Alcohol consumption, according to researchers, is deeply engrossed in our cultural settings as way of socialising. Look at things like Tonto, Bwakata, Malwa and others. We all know how much importance people attach to their cultures and norms or ways of life and thus fighting it through legislation would not be easy, save for the flooding of our cells.

This also brings across the question of enforcing the legislation on alcohol brands that are locally consumed without prior packaging like Malwa or mwenge bigere. Is it not similar to the tobacco campaign that has focused on cigarettes meanwhile many people are consuming the leaf fresh through their pipes?

It is true there should be time limits for people to start and stop drinking, however, the extreme end of this is an abuse of people’s freedom.

Actually, in the first place, we must understand that alcohol is not obtained free from nature like air or water, and thus takes money to acquire. Therefore, those who have money should be free to spend it at will. The Government should only find means to benefit from their spending; through taxation for example.

The entire situation explained above, therefore, calls for sensitisation rather than punitive action. People should be sensitised on the dangers of excess alcohol consumption on their lives and the community at large.

Secondly, the Government should give ample room for the brew industry to grow by guiding with set standards in packaging and production. Infants should be discouraged by parents and teachers from abusing alcohol.

We must also avoid creating a situation that would unnecessarily lead to limiting of people’s freedoms of assembly and recognise that alcohol production, sale is the source of income for many people.

The writer is the MP Ntenjeru South