Alcohol 'Destroying' Namibia

While Namibians have become increasingly aware of the dangers of illicit drug use, alcohol seems to have slipped under the radar and is wreaking havoc in the country.

This was highlighted yesterday by Simon Nhongo, Resident Co-ordinator for the UN, during the commemoration of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Quoting the findings of a recent study conducted by the Social Impact Assessment and Policy Analysis Corporation, Nhongo said that more than half of Namibia's adult population consumes an average of 10 litres of alcohol a week.

The study, he said, further revealed that 55,6 per cent of adult Namibians consume about 33 bottles of beer in a week.

"While illicit drugs are certainly a problem and, sadly, a growing one for Namibia, the most serious challenge facing us is a drug most of us have at home and consider harmless or even fun.

The drug I am speaking of is alcohol," Nhongo said.

Windhoek, he said, was shown to have the highest percentage of drinkers in the country - 69,9 per cent of the city's adult population.

This was followed by the southern regions, where he said 65,2 per cent of adults were drinkers.

The lowest number of alcohol consumers was recorded in the Omusati, Oshikoto and Ohangwena regions, Nhongo said, with a combined percentage of 26 per cent of their populations believed to consume alcohol.

Nhongo was addressing a group of about 250 to 300 people who turned out in support of the day.

Participants included a number of church and school groups, as well as a number of self-claimed former drug users who gave testimony of their experiences with and away from harmful substances.

Also in attendance was veteran African star, South Africa's Yvonne Chaka Chaka, in her capacity as Unicef Goodwill Ambassador.

Like Nhongo, Chaka Chaka highlighted alcohol abuse as an evil that needs addressing throughout African societies.

"Alcohol abuse and its effect on families are at the core of underdevelopment in Africa."

"Because of alcohol abuse and wrong beliefs about women, so many women and children are being raped, murdered brutally and are beaten and abused in their homes.

Because of alcohol abuse, many people are having sex without condoms," she said.

"Because of alcohol abuse, parents do not take proper care of their children, as a result children run away from home and because of living in the street they get into trouble with the law.

Pregnant women who drink are also seriously affecting their unborn children," Chaka Chaka said.

The Namibian