Leaders want tough law to control alcohol abuse

Mbarara City leaders have expressed concern over the rampant alcohol consumption among the youth, which they say has affected their productivity.
Some bars in the city open as early as 8am and sell all sorts of alcohol. This is common in the slums of Biafra, Kajogo, Kijungu, Kisenyi and Kashanyarazi. From as young as 10 years, literate and illiterate youth are trapped in alcoholism. The leaders now want a tough law to regulate such behaviour. 

The city clerk, Mr Assy Abireebe, said their only hope of saving the youth is for Members of Parliament to come up with a tough law to regulate alcohol production and consumption.

“It’s difficult to regulate time, sales and consumption of alcohol because we lack an enabling law. These people used to be charged with being idle and disorderly but this law is no longer there. We pray that Parliament passes a law that will enable us to regulate alcohol consumption,” he said.
However, a 35-year-old university graduate, who this reporter found drinking as early as 8am in a bar at one of the arcades opposite Mbarara Central Market with a group of six others, said his drinking is not for leisure. 

He said youth drink to “kill stress” amidst economic hardships because they have looked for gainful employment in vain.
“We find solace in alcohol consumption after failing to find jobs. I graduated from university in 2021 but I have failed to get a job. We come here to chat and forget our problems,” he said.
When asked where they get money to support their drinking, he said they beg and at times do menial jobs.

“The alcohol we take is cheap, a glass goes for as low as Shs500. We do menial jobs and sometimes ask from those who have to support us. We know that some of the alcohol may be illicit but we have nothing to do,” he said. 
One of his colleagues said he lost a job as a restaurant manager in Mbarara City because of alcohol abuse.
“I resorted to drinking. I now survive on handouts but I am planning to go to church and get saved [Born Again],” he said.

His explanation paints a bigger picture of how these youth end up in alcoholism and how it is affecting their lives. 
The Deputy Resident City Commissioner for Mbarara City North, Mr Robert Kanusu, attributed the rampant cases of alcohol abuse to unemployment among the urban poor.
“This is largely because of unemployment, they resort to alcohol and drugs to keep busy, but this is dangerous, besides breeding insecurity. We are encouraging them to form groups to benefit from government programmes,” he said. 

The secretary for community development in Mbarara City, Mr Abbas Kazibwe, said alcohol abuse is affecting the city’s development.   
“The number of mentally ill people in the city is rampant and this could be partly because of drug and alcohol abuse. Besides increasing cases of insecurity, we are losing a productive labour force to alcohol,” he said.
He also attributed the rampant cases of alcohol abuse to unemployment and urged the government to come up with skilling and income generating projects to stop idleness among the youth instead of instituting  tough laws.

But Mr Kanusu said they will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute any person who commits crime under the influence of alcohol. 
The Rwizi Region police spokesperson, Mr Samson Kasasira, also said the rampant alcohol abuse contributes to criminality.

“Alcohol consumption, like any case of drug abuse, influences criminality such as theft, domestic violence and even murders. We have many cases we receive which are alcohol and drug abuse-related,” he said.
Prof Alex Ariho, the executive director  of Excel Hort Consult, an agribusiness incubation hub, said cities need to address challenges of influx of people, especially the unemployed youth. 
  
 “Youth, especially from universities, remain attracted to cities for employment and without any plans by cities to absorb them in employment, they will be frustrated and turn to drugs and criminality to survive.Emerging cities need to plan with other stakeholders to address the influx of unemployed youth,” he  said.

The law on alcohol
Ms Edith Atukwatsa, a psychologist counsellor, said they are waiting on Parliament to pass the Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill, 2022,  to enable local governments to pass bylaws and ordinances to regulate alcohol production and consumption.

In the proposed law,  government plans to increase the alcohol consumption age from 18 to 21 to counter abuse, according to Ministry of Health. 
“These addicts need rehabilitation, the government should come up with rehabilitation centres where these youth are counselled. Local authorities should come up with bylaws to regulate production, sale and consumption of alcohol, in addition to setting up projects to support the youth,” Ms Atukwatsa said.

Tororo Woman MP Sarah Opendi introduced the Bill in November 2022 to help regulate the manufacture, importation, sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks but it is yet to be passed.