Members of parliament, ministry of health and civil society actors have endorsed a proposal to regulate and limit alcohol drinking hours which is in the Alcoholic Control Bill 2022 which is being mooted by the Tororo District Woman MP Sarah Opendi. The ministry of health has also cautioned Ugandans to stop taking pride in being the leading alcohol consumers in Africa, given Alcohol’s adverse negative impact on the economy.
While addressing a joint press conference between Members of parliament, Ministry of health and civil society organizations in commemoration of the World Free Alcohol Day that is usually held on 3rd October annually, the calls to regulate alcohol drinking hours came top on agenda as all stakeholders emphasized the need to limit drinking hours in a way to reduce alcoholism that is a danger to the society.
D. Henry Mwebesa, the Director General Health Services urged Ugandans not to take pride in being the leading alcohol consumers in Africa, saying the harm alcoholism is having on the nation’s health sector is enormous. He mentioned the high crime rate, gender based violence, chronic poverty and health complications among the major outputs of alcoholism.
Sarah Opendi (DWR Tororo) who was granted leave in November 2022 by Parliament to table the Alcohol Control Bill announced that she is in the final touches with consultations and very soon the bill will find its way to the floor of parliament for the first reading. She re-echoed that the intention is not stopping the consumption of alcohol, but regulating the consumption of alcohol.
In the proposed Alcohol Control Bill, Opendi is seeking to prohibit the manufacture and sale of alcohol without a license and proposed to have anyone found flouting this provision to face a fine of 500 currency points equivalent to Shs10M or imprisonment not exceeding 5years or both. It is also seeking to impose a timeline within which alcohol consumers are in position to consume their drink, by having the sale not take place before mid-day and beyond 6Pm and a fine of Shs20M or imprisonment for ten years are being proposed.
Martial Magirigiri, Executive Director of national Care Centre backed the enactment of the Alcohol Control Bill especially on the provision of banning drinking of alcohol amongst people below 18 years.
