Limiting alcohol availability
Limiting alcohol availabilityBy The Post
Thu 04 Oct. 2012, 13:00 CAT
The restrictions imposed on the times for the sale of alcohol are justified and welcome.
Alcohol is not an ordinary commodity. It is a powerful toxin with undeniable physical, mental and social consequences for drinkers and those around them.
Levels of alcohol consumption and related harms are a function of both the demand for the product and its supply or availability, and there is a clear need to intervene in these in order to achieve the balance between the costs and the apparent benefit of alcohol supply and consumption.
One way in which the authorities have attempted to achieve such a balance is the imposition of legislation and regulations restricting the availability of alcohol.
The restrictions on the sale and supply of alcohol need to be further tightened and strictly enforced. We think that alcohol should be further restricted to prevent some of its negative consequences.
Alcohol causes many unnecessary deaths that could be prevented somehow. Alcohol is involved in most of the violent crimes that occur in our country. It is also well-established that alcohol will impair brain development in those under 25. It is addictive, it damages unborn babies, it causes much hardship.
How could we as a society watch such a thing and try to do nothing about it? They say there is free will for people to drink, but this is the same as saying there is free will for people to hurt or kill each other. Alcohol is the number one reason for road accidents and child abuse. It makes a person lose his or her mind, and make foolish decisions. That is why in casinos, alcohol is very readily available.
In addition to the restrictions on time or hours for sale of alcohol, there may be need to consider raising the drinking age to 25. We say this because between the ages of 18 and 24, one is still growing and learning and drinking does not help with their judgement at these ages.
There are so many young people that get alcohol before the age of 21 and there should be better restriction on this issue. If someone is found to be buying alcohol for under-age children, it should put them into a lot of trouble, causing them to not want to do this again.
The limiting of the hours that alcoholic beverages may be available for sale will certainly help reduce alcohol consumption and related harms.
There is strong and consistent evidence that limiting alcohol availability by maintaining restrictions on the times of sale is an effective strategy for preventing excessive alcohol consumption and related harms.
Things are out of control in Zambia over the abuse of alcohol. We have too many places in the country selling alcoholic beverages that don't close at all. We still have alcohol being sold on the streets in many parts of our country.
And most of our shops are stocking alcohol for sale. And we don't think most places that are selling alcohol actually have a licence to sell it. Alcohol should always require a special licence to sell it. Having an ordinary trading licence does not and should not entitle anyone to sell alcohol.
If places are open throughout and selling alcoholic beverages, what time are people going to remain sober and work? We don't believe it's only people who don't work who are drinking during times which are supposed to be working hours.
It means that even those who are supposed to be working are finding time to leave work and go and drink. This not only reduces productivity and the quality of work, but it also endangers the lives of others through industrial accidents.
Most of the accidents we experience on our roads are as a result of those who drive while drunk. This doesn't only cost life but it also causes serious loss to productive equipment that is on the road. Many valuable goods have been lost as a result of road accidents.
Truly, the regulations restricting the times for sale of alcohol may need some fine-tuning here and there, but in the main, they should be maintained. We understand and appreciate the fact that some businesses will lose income and experience reductions in their profits.
But we cannot put profits above life, above the wellbeing of the nation. Profits that come from the destruction of life are not worth it. Profits that destroy the wellbeing of the nation should not be sought. Let's remember what Dr Kenneth Kaunda said about drunkenness in a broadcast to the nation on October 22, 1965:
"I have condemned drunkenness before. I condemn it now as a cancer seriously eating into the bone and flesh of the nation - something deplorable - something to be abhorred."
Labels: ALCOHOL
posted by MrK @ 3:44 PM
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