Press Release Alcohol abuse growing

News PostCourier

Tuesday 27th August 2013

 

The recent news about Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s decision to quit alcohol has received praise from a local NGO in Goroka.

Eastern Highlands Family Voice is a national NGO and operates in Goroka town, serving many victims of sexual and domestic violence strongly advocating against all forms of abuse and violence against women. The Eastern Highlands Family Voice (EHFV) chairman, Mr Walter Nombe, commended the Chief Executive Officer of the nation for his decision.

He said that this is a role model message for men and particularly for leaders at all levels of our society, to take the cue from him and make drastic lifestyle changes to fully commit themselves to serve the nation, adding that it is really encouraging to see this kind of attitude and is hoping other leaders can take some bold stand on various issues like corruption and sexual and domestic violence. Mr Nombe said: “We should not pretend that alcohol is not affecting and impacting on the lives of our people. It is affecting this country in a very big way.

“We must recognise that and take some very radical measures to control the use and abuse of alcohol. The people have a right to a safe and violence free environment to live and grow, and if alcohol abuse is denying that for the people then it is time for us to act on it.” A recent baseline community survey carried out by EHFV in a district revealed that the top ranking common issues affecting men, women and children in seven different communities were alcohol, gambling, drugs, prostitution and sorcery. Alcohol came on top as impacting on men followed by drugs and gambling, while for young men; drugs, alcohol and gambling, for women; gambling, sorcery, prostitution and finally for girls; prostitution, gambling and alcohol.

It is noted that different issues affect the different groups depending on their circumstances and situations. Just taking the top issue for each group is indicative that men feel more manly when they are drunk, women are now more lazy, girls are getting involved early in prostitution and boys are now more involved in growing and selling marijuana and the use of alcohol. If we take this as a standard scenario across all communities and regions we have a problem. In this context, then the Prime Minister’s stand to quit alcohol is worth mentioning. According to the Law & Justice Sector Division of Eastern Highlands Province, 85% of matters in the village courts relate back to domestic violence and assaults to children and women, which in turn stems from consumption of alcohol. The EHFV’s internal statistics show that alcohol related domestic violence is one of the highest recorded types of violence on women.

From 1,103 clients’ visit to Family Voice for counselling from January 2010 to December 2012, 49% of cases reported were alcohol related.