The Book of Daniel in the Bible tells us about Belshazzar’s feast. Belshazzar was a ruler who held a grand feast. It is said that during the feast a hand appeared and wrote on the wall. Belshazzar was terrified. Daniel interpreted the message and told Belshazzar that his days were numbered. In a similar way the writing is on the wall for those who consume Alcohol. Their days are numbered.
According to Alcohol and Drug Information Center (ADIC) concerns related to alcohol consumption include: Alcohol consumption is linked to domestic violence; Household income is being used for alcohol before other household necessities; harm to others (general); affects the happiness of the user and his/her family; alcohol consumption is linked to child abuse; alcohol risks and harms for younger people; driving after drinking alcohol causes crashes, injuries and deaths; 
alcohol consumption causes cancer; alcohol is linked to heart and kidney diseases; alcohol is linked to suicide and homicides; death and disability at middle age; alcohol is linked to deadly falls and injuries.
The ancients warned us about the dangers of consuming alcohol. Buddhism is an ancient religion. The 5th precept expounded by the Buddha (which is over 2500 years old) states – “Do not drink alcohol or take drugs, as these do not help you to think clearly, they cloud the mind”. We are told that many Christians abstain from Alcohol citing the biblical scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:21 – “You cannot drink the cup of the lord and the cup of demons too”.
Daily News recently attended a Research Launch Event jointly organized by ADIC and Movendi International. Today advances in medical science have revealed to us the dangers of alcohol consumption. Alcohol is widely recognized as a problem in Sri Lanka. 97% of adults surveyed said that alcohol consumption is a problem in the country. 79% consider it a major problem. ADIC has also found out that due to alcohol there are approximately 15,000 deaths per year.
Need for awareness
Former Chairman of the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol, Current Chairman of ADIC, Dr. Palitha Abeykoon, confirmed that alcohol affects each and every organ in the body. “The cost of looking after people who fall ill due to alcohol is far more than the cost of looking after people who fall ill due to tobacco. Our leaders and policy makers need to count the cost in the long term. This is actually a loss. Unfortunately, the use of alcohol is promoted in social media.”
He further pointed out that it is important that we generate new ideas and stimulate people to think by using the data that we have. In addition to speaking about alcohol, Dr. Abeykoon also spoke about tobacco use.
“It is important to use the data that we have for policy formulation and advocacy. I must say that we have been successful in gathering information about tobacco use. We need to be very open about what we discuss. Around 20,000 deaths per year are due to tobacco use (55 deaths per year).But according to a survey done in 2019/2021, if you take the statistics in the region regarding the prevalence of tobacco use, in Sri Lanka,it is less than 10%. In fact, it is 9.9%. This is remarkable, because if you take the region, it is the lowest. Bhutan has banned and prohibited smoking. I feel that compared to Bhutan we have done very well. Another interesting factor is that although the cigarettes produced and the level of smoking has come down, the profits generated by the Tobacco company has increased. They are making more money. But I have no problem with the Ceylon Tobacco Company making money. My concern is that we should reduce the number of people who smoke. Maybe these are issues that we need to take up,” said Dr. Abeykoon.
He pointed out the consensus in the world is that tobacco use should get the red light. In other words, smoking needs to be discouraged. “It is unfortunate that in Sri Lanka this message has not properly been communicated to the public. If you do not smoke, do not start. If you are smoking, then reduce it as much as possible or stop smoking completely. We should sharpen this message. In Europe 90%- 95% of the people drink. They take a social drink. The women will drink a glass of wine and the men will take a beer. In our country about 70% of the people do not drink at all. They are non- drinkers. But the 30% drink. But the problem is that this 30% consume too much. They have no control. So we have a problem.”
Challenges and strategies
Dr. Abeykoon further added that the organization he works for, the WHO, did not have a clear, definite, black and white policy about alcohol until very recently. After a lot of lobbying and pressure from so many groups, WHO is now saying – “No amount of alcohol is harmless.” What it says is that if you can stop drinking, then stop drinking. That is a major achievement.
“Our alcohol situation is different to the tobacco situation. This is my own opinion. My own observation. In Tobacco there is just one company monopolizing, but alcohol is owned by locals, except for the imported alcohol. But most of the local alcohol is owned by 10 – 15 people in the country. So they are very powerful. Some of them I am told are also politicians. In the past, these politicians influenced the issuing of licences. This we know. Therefore, control is not going to be that easy. We must understand who we are challenging.”
According to the WHO, ‘reducing alcohol availability’ through taxation and pricing policies are among the scientifically proven, the single most cost effective alcohol control measures which can be established within a country. Dr. Abeykoon pointed out that like in tobacco, the evidence is that the most effective way of managing the situation is through taxes. “The problem we have regarding alcohol, is we do not know what the level of taxation should be, because we do not know what the taxation formula should be. I have not seen a very definite taxation formula. When it comes to cigarettes we have a reasonably okay formula. Alcohol I do not know. One of the things we would like to see happening, is to see if we can propose a reasonable formula for taxation to the Government.”
Efforts to tackle alcohol issues
Vice President, Movendi International, Pubudu Sumanasekara, added that the work that ADIC is involved in takes a lot of time and energy and it is very much a collective effort. He expressed his gratitude to all those involved, because it is only because of their cooperation that ADIC’s goals are achieved.
“When it comes to collecting information related to alcohol consumption, we know that this is a challenge, because the information needs to be accurate and credible. This requires commitment, passion and hard work. We have recognized the need for information concerning alcohol consumptions, because we believe that such information is crucial when it comes to addressing the problems that such an addiction poses. That is why we feel that today’s event is so important. Because we need to create a discourse, and this event today can be a platform for disseminating information. Information is key here. We need to reach the people of Sri Lanka with this information. That is why I personally feel that this is the responsibility of everyone. There needs to be a certain policy. There needs to be a vision. There needs to be a strategy. If that does not happen it will be difficult to take the bull by the horns. We need to develop a good dialogue. What we are trying to achieve today is basically arming ourselves with knowledge. This is not just for us, it is for our children and the future generations,” explained Sumanasekara.
He further explained that the event is one that has come to fruition because of the efforts of many concerned stakeholders. “Today we are going to discuss with you the results of our research. We now need to strengthen or intensify our efforts. Here we need to work hand in hand with the communities. Here I call upon the media.”
Ishara Jayawardane