Such
is their negative effect on society that Zambia has recently created a
country-wide ban on the sachet industry.
Just three months after the ban came into force, when we passed through
Zambia we didn’t come across their existence.
However when we passed across the border into Malawi, the sachet culture
slapped us in the face. We first come
across the discarded empty sachets littering the dirt road and
countryside. They are everywhere and
littering the towns, countryside, beaches and forests. The litter problem, typically a Western
defined problem (Malawians don’t share the same values on litter) is not the
main problem of the sachet-culture, the effect on certain social groups is
debilitating. More than once we were harassed
by men, madly drunk, incoherent and dangerous.
The
affordability and availability of this cheap and potent alcohol means that life
even in the most idyllic and rural settlements is being severely affected. Men, who are typically the main consumers, are
drunk before midday. Teachers and
parents are complaining of the effect on teenage boys who are dropping out of
schools to drink sachets. Even children
under the age of ten are known to be drinking the substance. Others complain of a rise in domestic and
sexual violence. The sachet culture also
affects those not directly connected; the transport system based around private
mini-buses are becoming increasingly more dangerous as drivers keep themselves
awake with the use of sachets.
For
a country with a high unemployment rate, such an increase in unproductiveness
of the population paralyses development.
Malawi
has tried banning the product but a labyrinth of free business, vested
interests and long legal processes means that the government required great
political will to pass a ban. They do
not (yet) have the will. A small success
has been had from the Malawian government as they have increased the taxes on
alcohol to 250% in the latest budget with the idea to price out school children
from the market and make it uneconomical for others. Sadly it still remains too cheap and the
sachet problem will not be solved until a total ban is enforced.
Further
articles:
No comments:
Post a Comment