DRINKING AMONG THE YOUTH IN A DEVELOPING URBAN CENTRE WITH REFERENCE TO KISII TOWN

Abstract

”I am not going to lead a nation of drunkards”, so declared President Keneth Kaunda of Zambia when he found that his civil servants were over drinking In Kenya, up to 1978, the situation had been such that drinking was very rampant with clubs which brewed and sold local brews found everywhere both in the rural and urban areas. Generally, alcohol was at prosy. This situation compelled and called for government intervention which resulted into a closure of all the clubs and the regulating of drinking hours. A similar action was taken on December 1986 when all off-licence bars which were located in the rural and small market centers were closed. Well, the productivity of the individual and indeed the nation was going down. The people’s health was deteriorating and thus expectancy rate was also low. All bars and beer shops could not allow anybody under 18 years to buy or consume alcohol in their premises. Police swoops were intensified to net in the offenders. Very many women who brewed and persisted brewing the loo albrews, and those found to be drank and disorderly appeared before the Magistrates in the law courts. Inspite of all attempts to reduce alcohol consumption, there has been an area which has however, been forgotten. This is where local brews are declared illegal while the so-called commercialized brews (beer and whiskies) are allowed into society. It is as if we only want to curb drinking by the poor because he cannot afford a Tusker or two while allowing the rich because he can, not only afford a beer but also because he can easily pay any fine that can be imposed on him.