UAP CONFERENCE AT KAMPALA
UAP CONFERENCE AT KAMPALA
Chris. Wagoleire
(JINJA UNACOH FOCAL PERSON)
IMPERIAL ROYALE HOTEL
(23-25/11/22)
Scope of Presentation
•
Introduction
•
Challenges Facing the Regulation
of Alcohol at all levels
•
Opportunities Available for
Regulation of Alcohol at all levels
•
Recommendations
Introduction
Whereas alcohol is traditionally regarded as a
very important beverage, served at all types
of ceremonies (whether joyous or sorrowful),
alcohol drinking commonly results in alcohol
harm that has health and socio-economic
outcomes to individuals, families and
communities in form of sickness, domestic
violence, marital break down, failure to work,
poverty, crime, accidents, diseases, high
medical expenses, blindness, death, etc.
CHALLENGES:
Why
is alcohol producing, selling or
drinking a problem?
•
The old laws have gaps in regulating
alcohol.
•
Some cultural norms are bad. E.g. A
newly born infant from the royal clan in
Busoga is normally washed with alcohol.
So, drinking in that clan is very normal.
Challenges (
Why
) Contd….
•
Many people resort to such business for lack
of alternative income generating ventures or
for over-dependency or they drink because
of peer pressure.
•
Some people misconceive that since alcohol
is an external sanitizer for COVID, so they
drink it to sanitize against systemic COVID.
•
Some leaders (in Kikaramoja and Soweto) in
Walukuba Division are not exemplary.
Challenges (
Why
)
Contd….
•
They promote opening alcohol joints and
drinking. This hinders law enactment/
enforcement.
•
Some packing material gives persuasive,
misleading information to the consumers.
•
In early and late stages of alcohol addiction,
alcohol consumers fail to avail human basic
needs (like food) for their families. School
children may drop out of school for lack of
school fees. Fighting, violence, crime rates,
poverty and marital break down increase.
Challenges
(How)
How
is alcohol producing, selling or drinking
a problem?
•
Some producers/ sellers add some toxic
substances to alcohol that accelerate people
to get drunk in about 5 minutes. This has led
to blindness or death in some cases.
•
Alcohol selling business may stall due to
accumulated unpaid bills from consumers.
•
Sometimes the dealers become very
abusive/ discouraging to the Change Agents,
Challenges
(How)
Contd…
e.g. when we say alcohol causes death, people
don’t quickly see this.
•
Some bar owners regard Change Agents (HWs,
CDOs & VHTs) as enemies responsible for the
downfall of their bar businesses.
•
Some drunkards with hangovers report to
health facilities for treatment creating a
nonrealistic claim/ expense. They cannot report
to work.
•
Some addicts who need rehabilitation cannot
meet the expenses at a Rehabilitation Center.
Challenges
(How)
Contd…
•
Those who agree to leave alcohol producing
or selling may need substantial capital for
other businesses as an alternative source of
livelihood.
•
Some youth consume alcohol retrospectively
with other drugs like tobacco or marijuana,
which may result into mental disorders that
are very expensive to treat let alone the self
denial in them.
•
Due to Covid-19 some people ended up
eating their financial capital and the
businesses stalled.
•
Challenges
(How)
Contd…
•
Lack of funds for follow up and
monitoring esp. now that the project is
ending.
•
Some converts who left alcohol
drinking need to be continually
followed up and counseled.
•
This would help them to avoid
resuming to drink, but transport funds
cannot be readily got.
OPPORTUNITIES:
•
In attempting to address the above
challenges, we have to use our
achievements in amplifying the success
stories i.e. the
opportunities
for regulating
production, sale or consumption of alcohol.
•
Kakira Sugar Limited (KSL) being the area
where the project started in Jinja District in
2012 (for instance) experienced higher
benefits in terms of increased production.
Therefore, all stakeholders should re-kindle
the methods that worked to ensure that the
following successes are not reversed:
Opportunities Contd……..
•
A drop in absenteeism and late coming
(49.5%).
•
A drop in alcohol consumers (50%).
•
A big drop in accidents at work -60%.
•
Reduction in gender-based violence
(80%).
•
Reduction in loss of jobs by 80%.
•
A reduction in failure to complete tasks
(50%).
Opportunities Contd……..
•
Over 200 families and groups benefited
through financial savings to financial
liberty.
•
Better academic performance in schools
•
Drama in some schools on de-
campaigning alcohol drinking is on-going.
•
Reduced alcohol-related medical costs.
•
As
Kakira Sugar Factory stopped giving
out molasses free for waragi making, it is,
now, using the molasses to make spirits.
Opportunities (KSL) Contd……..
All the above were achieved through:
•
Training a team of trainers (TOTs).
•
Community Mobilization and
Sensitization (CMS).
•
One to one dialogues and/or group
meetings.
•
Drama in some schools on de-
campaigning alcohol drinking.
•
Kakira Sugar Factory Management being
willing to review oppressive policies.
•
Individuals affected by alcohol willing to
become self aware and determined (SAD).
Opportunities Accruing in
6 S/C
s
Given:
•
Reduced alcohol related poverty and
reduced cases of child neglect -by 20%,
•
Reduced fights and reduced crime rates -
10% ; Reduced gender-based violence -
50% ; Improved saving culture -40%
and Less school drop-outs -by 10%, the
opportunity is to
intensify CMS
,
Counseling, and instill an attitudinal change
for
socio- economic empowerment
.
Opportunities in 6 S/Cs Contd…
Given:
•
Reduced illness/ medical expenses;
Better productive businesses; more
money from taxes; and
Much less drinking in working hours
(80%),
Authorities
should
facilitate economic
development
for the masses.
Individuals
should become
more
productive
.
Opportunities in 6 S/Cs Contd…
Individuals and families that left drinking
or changed from producing or selling
alcohol are being used as a reference
point by trainers to emphasize that it is
possible to change positively. E.g. 262
formerly alcohol consumers who testify
openly having left drinking completely can
be used to
give testimonies
(during
community barazas) so as to
motivate
others to change positively
.
Opportunities in 6 S/Cs Contd…
•
The over 89 waragi distillers who left the
business could change to
hands-on-skill
jobs
.
•
The operators of over 240 alcohol selling
joints which are said to have closed due to
lack of customers could
do alternative
businesses
.
•
Also more people need to be helped to
develop a saving culture
thru’ SACCOs
.
•
More people can be assisted to
prevent
getting alcohol related accidents
.
Opportunities in 6 S/Cs Contd…
•
Many former alcohol addicts in Bugembe
left drinking thru’ CMS & SAD. The
estimated amount of alcohol consumed
per month in their area, Leaders say, it has
reduced from about 400 (20 liter) jerry
cans to 150 jerry cans of alcohol
consumed per month.
These people should now form SACCOs to
get funding under the Parish Development
Model.
Opportunities in 6 S/Cs Contd…
•
Model villages selected in each of the
operational sub-counties/ town councils or
Walukuba Division are assisting VHTs through
team work to help, reduce alcohol harm
tagged to alcohol production, selling or
consumption.
•
Role out the best practices e.g. –Not sending
children to sell or to buy alcohol. -Over 40
people doing alternative businesses like: liquid
soap making, tailoring, selling clothes, etc.
Opportunities in 6 S/Cs Contd…
We thank UNACOH and all other stakeholders
for having run this project in Jinja for, now:
•
There is better interaction with communities
•
There is better performance by men.
•
CDOs report having much fewer cases of
Family Conflicts, Child Neglect and Crime Rates
generally.
•
The ban of small sachets of polythene packed
alcohol reduced accessibility to alcohol.
Thank you for your attention!
The UAP Conference at Kampala focused on the challenges, opportunities, and recommendations for regulating alcohol consumption at all levels. The presentation highlighted issues such as cultural norms, health impacts, economic consequences, and societal behaviors associated with alcohol. Challenges include gaps in laws, misleading information, societal dependencies, and harmful practices. Recommendations aim to address these concerns and promote a more responsible approach to alcohol regulation.
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Presentation Transcript
UAP CONFERENCE AT KAMPALA Chris. Wagoleire (JINJA UNACOH FOCAL PERSON) IMPERIAL ROYALE HOTEL (23-25/11/22)
Scope of Presentation Introduction Challenges Facing the Regulation of Alcohol at all levels Opportunities Available for Regulation of Alcohol at all levels Recommendations
Introduction Whereas alcohol is traditionally regarded as a very important beverage, served at all types of ceremonies (whether joyous or sorrowful), alcohol drinking commonly results in alcohol harm that has health and socio-economic outcomes to individuals, families and communities in form of sickness, domestic violence, marital break down, failure to work, poverty, crime, accidents, diseases, high medical expenses, blindness, death, etc.
CHALLENGES: Why is alcohol producing, selling or drinking a problem? The old laws have gaps in regulating alcohol. Some cultural norms are bad. E.g. A newly born infant from the royal clan in Busoga is normally washed with alcohol. So, drinking in that clan is very normal.
Challenges (Why) Contd. Many people resort to such business for lack of alternative income generating ventures or for over-dependency or they drink because of peer pressure. Some people misconceive that since alcohol is an external sanitizer for COVID, so they drink it to sanitize against systemic COVID. Some leaders (in Kikaramoja and Soweto) in Walukuba Division are not exemplary.
Challenges (Why) Contd. They promote opening alcohol joints and drinking. This hinders law enactment/ enforcement. Some packing material gives persuasive, misleading information to the consumers. In early and late stages of alcohol addiction, alcohol consumers fail to avail human basic needs (like food) for their families. School children may drop out of school for lack of school fees. Fighting, violence, crime rates, poverty and marital break down increase.
Challenges (How) How is alcohol producing, selling or drinking a problem? Some producers/ sellers add some toxic substances to alcohol that accelerate people to get drunk in about 5 minutes. This has led to blindness or death in some cases. Alcohol selling business may stall due to accumulated unpaid bills from consumers. Sometimes the dealers become very abusive/ discouraging to the Change Agents,
Challenges (How) Contd e.g. when we say alcohol causes death, people don t quickly see this. Some bar owners regard Change Agents (HWs, CDOs & VHTs) as enemies responsible for the downfall of their bar businesses. Some drunkards with hangovers report to health facilities for treatment creating a nonrealistic claim/ expense. They cannot report to work. Some addicts who need rehabilitation cannot meet the expenses at a Rehabilitation Center.
Challenges (How) Contd Those who agree to leave alcohol producing or selling may need substantial capital for other businesses as an alternative source of livelihood. Some youth consume alcohol retrospectively with other drugs like tobacco or marijuana, which may result into mental disorders that are very expensive to treat let alone the self denial in them. Due to Covid-19 some people ended up eating their financial capital and the businesses stalled.
Challenges (How) Contd Lack of funds for follow up and monitoring esp. now that the project is ending. Some converts who left alcohol drinking need to be continually followed up and counseled. This would help them to avoid resuming to drink, but transport funds cannot be readily got.
OPPORTUNITIES: In attempting to address the above challenges, we have to use our achievements in amplifying the success stories i.e. the opportunities for regulating production, sale or consumption of alcohol. Kakira Sugar Limited (KSL) being the area where the project started in Jinja District in 2012 (for instance) experienced higher benefits in terms of increased production. Therefore, all stakeholders should re-kindle the methods that worked to ensure that the following successes are not reversed:
Opportunities Contd.. A drop in absenteeism and late coming (49.5%). A drop in alcohol consumers (50%). A big drop in accidents at work -60%. Reduction in gender-based violence (80%). Reduction in loss of jobs by 80%. A reduction in failure to complete tasks (50%).
Opportunities Contd.. Over 200 families and groups benefited through financial savings to financial liberty. Better academic performance in schools Drama in some schools on de- campaigning alcohol drinking is on-going. Reduced alcohol-related medical costs. As Kakira Sugar Factory stopped giving out molasses free for waragi making, it is, now, using the molasses to make spirits.
Opportunities (KSL) Contd.. All the above were achieved through: Training a team of trainers (TOTs). Community Mobilization and Sensitization (CMS). One to one dialogues and/or group meetings. Drama in some schools on de- campaigning alcohol drinking. Kakira Sugar Factory Management being willing to review oppressive policies. Individuals affected by alcohol willing to become self aware and determined (SAD).
Opportunities Accruing in 6 S/Cs Given: Reduced alcohol related poverty and reduced cases of child neglect -by 20%, Reduced fights and reduced crime rates - 10% ; Reduced gender-based violence - 50% ; Improved saving culture -40% and Less school drop-outs -by 10%, the opportunity is to intensify CMS, Counseling, and instill an attitudinal change for socio- economic empowerment.
Opportunities in 6 S/Cs Contd Given: Reduced illness/ medical expenses; Better productive businesses; more money from taxes; and Much less drinking in working hours (80%), Authorities should facilitate economic development for the masses. Individuals should become more productive.
Opportunities in 6 S/Cs Contd Individuals and families that left drinking or changed from producing or selling alcohol are being used as a reference point by trainers to emphasize that it is possible to change positively. E.g. 262 formerly alcohol consumers who testify openly having left drinking completely can be used to give testimonies (during community barazas) so as to motivate others to change positively.
Opportunities in 6 S/Cs Contd The over 89 waragi distillers who left the business could change to hands-on-skill jobs. The operators of over 240 alcohol selling joints which are said to have closed due to lack of customers could do alternative businesses. Also more people need to be helped to develop a saving culture thru SACCOs. More people can be assisted to prevent getting alcohol related accidents.
Opportunities in 6 S/Cs Contd Many former alcohol addicts in Bugembe left drinking thru CMS & SAD. The estimated amount of alcohol consumed per month in their area, Leaders say, it has reduced from about 400 (20 liter) jerry cans to 150 jerry cans of alcohol consumed per month. These people should now form SACCOs to get funding under the Parish Development Model.
Opportunities in 6 S/Cs Contd Model villages selected in each of the operational sub-counties/ town councils or Walukuba Division are assisting VHTs through team work to help, reduce alcohol harm tagged to alcohol production, selling or consumption. Role out the best practices e.g. Not sending children to sell or to buy alcohol. -Over 40 people doing alternative businesses like: liquid soap making, tailoring, selling clothes, etc.
Opportunities in 6 S/Cs Contd We thank UNACOH and all other stakeholders for having run this project in Jinja for, now: There is better interaction with communities There is better performance by men. CDOs report having much fewer cases of Family Conflicts, Child Neglect and Crime Rates generally. The ban of small sachets of polythene packed alcohol reduced accessibility to alcohol.
