A nation of drunkards
Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Monday May 19, 2014 17:06
WHO Global Status Report on alcohol and health 2014 also finds that Botswana men imbibe 25.3 litres of pure alcohol per capita, while their women folk guzzle 9.5 litres on average. This is among the highest consumption rates in Africa.
In southern Africa, only South Africa and Namibia beat Botswana in alcohol consumption per capita. The SADC region tops the rest of Africa in alcohol consumption according to the WHO report.
The alarming statistics on Botswana will surprise many especially after government in 2008 implemented several interventions meant to contain the escalating levels of alcohol consumption in the country. President Ian Khama instituted measures such as the alcohol levy, and limiting of operating hours for bars, bottle stores and nightclubs.
The report also finds that Botswana still lacks an Action Plan to follow up on its written national alcohol policy.
According to the 2014 report, 17% of Batswana alcohol imbibers fall under the category of heavy drinkers who can down 60 cans of beer or 60 grams on a single occasion.
Clear beer accounts for the majority of alcohol taken in Botswana (56%), but with 21%, Chibuku and other traditional brews are proving to be a hit as well. Spirits and wines combined, account for 23% of the alcohol consumption in Botswana.
It is not just the deaths, the road accidents, the heavy drinking that is a chronic problem here, this report also shows that 10.1% of the drinkers in Botswana have developed alcohol disorders in a country where alcohol abuse rehabilitation facilities are unheard of. In fact alcohol disorders are higher in Botswana than in neighboring South Africa where males guzzle 32.8 litres of alcohol per capita.
According to the report alcohol disorders in Botswana are three times higher than the WHO’s Africa average of 3.3%. The report also finds that 4.2% of drinkers in Botswana had developed alcohol dependence, almost four times higher than WHO’s Africa’s average of 1.4%.
The report further states that 60.5% of deaths in males in Botswana are due to alcohol related illnesses like liver cirrhosis. Alcohol related illnesses are also responsible for 51% of deaths among Botswana women.
A staggering 35.5% of road accidents in Botswana are reported to be caused by drunken driving among males alone, with six percent of drunken women causing road mishaps.
In contrast however the national average of alcohol consumption in South Africa is 11.1%, where males down 32.8 litres and women down 16 litres of alcohol. South Africa’s deaths relating to alcohol are 68.4% among men and 59.6% among women.