Address brewer concerns ahead of chang'aa Bill

Alcohol traders are calling for self-regulation when the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act comes into force. Reason? They feel the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (Nacada) lacks the capacity to implement the new laws.

At first sight, it may seem that the traders are jumping the gun, but upon closer inspection, they have raised a valid concern.

So far, Nacada has been poorly funded and grossly understaffed, which means it would have to rely mostly on public goodwill and the police to enforce the law.

That is in itself a recipe for disaster. Much of the focus following the enactment of the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act has been on chang’aa, after deaths around the country due to adulteration of the brew.

However, the new law is broader and covers even drinks that were legal before chang’aa. The Act seeks to control the sale and advertising of all alcoholic drinks in the market, including restaurants. This is where the capacity of Nacada comes into question. While it is expected that the agency will work with other law enforcement arms of Government, including the police, it is important that its capacity is beefed up, as not all establishments that sell alcohol are of the same class or rank.

unscrupulous dealers

The unspoken fear is that corruption could creep into the process, further adding to the costs of doing business as bribe-seeking officials see a chance to line their pockets.

It is unlikely that the Government wants the alcoholic drinks industry to regulate itself, but clearly further consultation is necessary. This should be done quickly before the coming into force of the Act overtakes events.

Chang’aa became a lethal brew was because unscrupulous dealers adulterated the brew to make it more potent and sell more, then bribed the police and chiefs to stay in business.