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Mugabe advisor pushes beer curb

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President Robert Mugabe’s health advisor Timothy Stamps yesterday said he was disappointed by the slow progress in completing the crafting of an Alcohol Policy meant to help curb the spread of HIV and Aids.

President Robert Mugabe’s health advisor Timothy Stamps yesterday said he was disappointed by the slow progress in completing the crafting of an Alcohol Policy meant to help curb the spread of HIV and Aids.

Report by Veneranda Langa Stamps said this at his offices in Harare during a media briefing ahead of the Medical and Health Expo, which begins today at the Harare International Conference Centre.

  He said alcohol consumption should be controlled by individuals as it was responsible for domestic violence and there was evidence it also contributed to bad judgment that accelerated the spread of HIV and Aids.

  “The rate of progress in crafting the Alcohol Policy has been disappointing to me because there are so many stakeholders that have to be involved and it has taken three years to consult,” Stamps said.

  “Consumption of alcohol should be controlled by the individual because domestic violence is frequently associated with it, as well as other diseases like Aids, which are promoted by alcohol abuse.”

  He said there was consensus among stakeholders that alcoholic beverages should not be sold to people aged below 18.

  “The problem is that some nightclubs have special licences that do not prevent teenagers from getting alcohol,” he said.

  A draft of the policy unveiled by Stamps last year proposed that supermarkets, shops and bottle stores must only be allowed to sell alcoholic drinks between 6 am and 7pm, while the selling of beer would be banned after midday on Sundays.Also to be banned would be the selling of alcohol beverages to visibly pregnant women and people who are already deemed to be drunk.

  Stamps said the expo will promote healthy eating habits, teach people about water treatment to prevent water borne diseases and road safety to avoid the prevalence of accidents, and other health-related issues.

  He said there would also be free health screening for different ailments and warned against some cultural beliefs, which he said promoted obesity.

  “In the past, women were told to get fat because it meant their husbands were taking care of them, but now we know being overweight creates health problems, principally diabetes, cancer of the internal organs and also cardiovascular conditions like heart attacks and high blood pressure,” he said.

  “We need to modify that attitude.”

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