Betty Namboze, the Mukono Municipality MP and the brain behind the new proposed Anti- Alcohol Bill 2016.
The ministry of health has agreed to be the lead promoter of the proposed Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2016 fronted by the Member of Parliament for Mukono Municipality, Betty Nambooze Bakireke.
The principle medical officer in charge of mental health, control of alcohol and drug abuse, Dr.sheila Ndyanabangi says her ministry will lead the promotion of the bill after rejecting the ministry of trade being one of the promoters on basis that it can be compromised since it is more interested in making revenue for the country than people living a healthy life.
Ndyanabangi says that she has talked to MP Nambooze and accepted the ministry’s plea so that the bill is pushed for regulating the manufacturers, advertisement, sell, supply and consumption of alcohol drinks.
She says that the ministry of trade if allowed to be one of the lead promoters of this bill can be compromised by commercial people included in clauses which are not tough against alcohol consumption.
Dr.Ndyanabangi says that she agrees with most of the clauses to the bill, but however, adds that bill should include the age limit from which a youth begins to drink alcohol at 21 years instead of 18 years as proposed in the current bill. She however says she is opportunistic that by 2017, this bill will have been passed by parliament.
The vice chairman of the Uganda Alcohol policy Alliance, David Kalema says that this bill should be drafted in way that captures the civil society organization views.
He says that the Alcoholic drinks control bill should also regulate the week days and public holidays so that alcohol is only consumed from 2pm instead of leaving it open.
The chairperson of the department of Epidemiology and Bio Statistics at Makerere School of Public Health, Dr.Nazarius Mbone Tumwesigye says that unregulated alcohol drinks has caused accidents by boda boda riders since alcohol consumption by Ugandans is more than three times compared to other countries.