By Saio Marrah
The Directorate of the Non Communicable Diseases and Mental Health in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) has in collaboration with partners held a consultative meeting with school children in the Western Area on a policy that will help prevent children from alcohol and minimize its consumption among other young people.
The consultative meeting was aimed at encouraging government to develop a policy that will make sure there are measures in place to put a stop to alcohol consumption.
Having held the North and North West Regional consultative meetings with several stakeholders on the same issue, school pupils in the Western Region were hosted to a consultative meeting for them to give their input to any policy that will be set developed.
Speaking at the Police Wives Hall in Freetown, on Friday 29th October, 2021, the Executive Director of the Defence for Children International and Member of the Alcohol Policy Alliance, Abdul Manaff Kemokai, said they want government to develop a policy that reduces the alcoholic content in especially locally produced sachet drinks after it’s realized that children easily access them.
He said they want a regulation that will tell where and when to sell alcohol, and for it not to be sold to persons below the age of 18. They also want to make sure parents and guardians do not send children to buy alcohol for them. Responding to questions as to whether the policy will be suffice to minimise the consumption of alcohol, he said it is a starting point with the hope that MOHS will later develop that into a bill for enactment.
He admitted the policy is not the only way, and said they will be engaging religious leaders so that people will know the danger alcohol causes to the human body.
According to him, they are targeting children and young people because during their sports and parties, they are attracted to alcohol consumption.
He said alcohol in sachets are sold cheap which he observed is the main reason for lots of its consumption among young people, leading to increase in the rate of violence, health issues and sexual abuse.
Theresa Kobba an official from the directorate, in a PowerPoint presentation, highlighted the diseases alcohol causes that include high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, stroke and liver problems.
She claimed that most of the percentage of alcohol content displayed on the sachets is generally higher than what is written.
According to her, reckless consumption of alcohol leads to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, sexual risk disorder, unintended pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other STDs. She also attributed some causes of injuries, sudden death and violence, road traffic accidents, sexual and gender based violence, to alcohol consumption. She pointed out that alcohol has no nutritional value, and can also destroy a healthy body.
The Chairman of the Sierra Leone Alcohol Policy Aliance(SLAPA) Habib Taigor Kamara, expressed dismay that alcohol is being sold everywhere even around school surroundings. He said they are targeting school children and young people before they can be addicted to it.
A pupil from the Sierra Leone Grammar School, Andrew Rodney Kofi Robert, suggested that selling of alcohol around school premises and canteens should stop and that teachers should not drink it there.
Another student from the United Muslim Association Secondary School in Freetown, Zainab A Bangura, criticized government for allowing companies that produce alcohol, to operate.The anti –alcohol awareness raising exercise is being sponsored by FORUT Norway and WHO. Local implementing partners include the West African Alcohol Policy Alliance (WAAPA), Sierra Leone Alcohol Policy Alliance and FORUT Sierra Leone.
Copyright © Politico Online 01/11/21
