What an unfortunate situation. Like many other problems that have been left unattended or explained away by "witchcraft" or other means, addressing the problem of alcoholism in Cameroon is long over due. There are many alcoholics, but sadly little or nothing is being done to solve their problem. Many wives are battered by drunken husbands, many lives are lost by drivers driving under the influence. Many children are under fed because Papa spent most of his salary in the bar at the end of the month.
Do not be quick to explain this away and say other countries drink. The fact that other countries have this problem does not mean that we should not look for possible solutions. Remember to take out the log from your own eye before you can take out the spark of sand from another person's eye.
There are too many liquor houses in the country and little or nor restriction on who and when to buy alcohol. Parents initiate their children at a very early age by sending them to buy alcoholic drinks for visitors and guests. No doubt when the kids grow up a majority of them drink. We are all aware of the impact of this habit even in the diaspora. How many have had car crashes and lost their lives because they were driving under the influence?. Please let us not dismiss it again and try to explain it by saying they were bewitched etc.
It is shocking that some drivers in Cameroon claim that when they drink it clears their eyes and make then better drivers. This is a lie and far from reality, for research points other wise.
I end by theorizing that alcoholism may be part of the problem for the stagnation of social, cultural, economic and political progress in Cameroon. I say so because a majority of those when drink engage in social, cultural, economic and political dialogue in liquor houses and as their drinking progresses the quality of the discussion deteriorates. Finally no concrete conclusion is reached. No doubt the brewery industry is the largest industry in the country and the people and the general sentiment is " drink and for get your problems". What a lie. Forgetting your problems does not make them go away. Facing them is the only way to solve them. Therefore we have to start facing the problem of alcoholism.
This can be done through higher taxes on alcoholic beverages, zoning and prohibiting children from drinking. I do not know if we have an age limit on drinking alcohol. If yes we should in force it. Those who give beer to babes should stop it. For this will negatively impact the development of their brains.
3 comments:
Dr. Tangumonkem,
You touched on some very salient social issues here. Alcoholism has indeed, negatively impacted our Cameroonian society. I remember growing up hearing that "33 Export" was Cameroon’s Thomas Sankara. I equally remember that in my days at the University of Buea, some of my friends used to make fun of me for not drinking alcohol. Some will even threaten that they will not give me some thing to drink ( or I shouldn't drink with them) if I am only going to drink the “women's drink”. Some will claim that none alcoholic drinks will give them worms or diabetes, or small guinness is better than big guinness. Just to get the best out of what they are being offered. I am still being made fun of even here in the US for not drinking alcohol. Not that I don't drink alcohol at all. For seldom drink but do it only for very special occasions that merit a celebration with alcohol and other social atmosphere. This said; alcoholism unfortunately has become part and parcel of many Cameroonians' ways of social life. I am not against those who drink responsibly to socialize, but I remain equally very disturbed by the ways many Cameroonians have embraced alcoholism.
It is not surprising to me that the government has not put in place or reinforced (if they exist) laws on alcoholism in Cameroon. Our government learnt a lot of tricks from our colonial master, and has been very innovative with these tricks. It is my assertion that they are even more dangerous than our colonial masters. They learned and innovated tricks on how to have us under control, alcoholism is their magic weapon. Just like magicians play tricks on us by having our attention focus on something else whilst they perform their trick on us some where else; our government has its magical weapon-alcohol for us. With alcohol mixed with soccer, they have been able to continue colonizing us mentally and physically. They make us focus on alcohol and soccer, whilst they continue to do what will keep them in power. Many Cameroonians have mortgaged their sense of rationale thinking with alcoholism. It is no surprise that most CPDM rallies are heavily attended because of the lure of alcohol. It is no surprise that many elections in Cameroon are scheduled around the time that there are many soccer tournaments. Many of us Cameroonian continue with our misplaced priorities to our homes. Without a stable family unit, without this collective stable family units; change in Cameroon is a hard dream to consider. To an extent, this is why we can talk all the talks about change, but it is just too hard to walk even baby steps in effecting this change we talk best about and write books about.
This is what is going on; Brasseries which is owned by the government makes a lot of money while making us too drunk to understand what we need to do as responsible citizens. Many get too drunk and become addicted to alcohol to the point of neglecting them selves and families. Without a stable family, there can’t be micro vision for the future of any family that is looking forward to meaningful improvement. Without this micro fundamentation it is very hard for it to collectively become a collective sustainable vision for our nation. Those who should drive this vision for it to become collective starting from parents, children, teachers, civil servants, politicians, businessmen by asking the right questions and staying focus on what they wish to see the government provide as leadership that will support their individual and collective vision fundamentally have allowed immorality rooted from alcoholism to deplete the moral ground of position of authority they should be speaking and acting. This is how our nation continues to fail. There is no individual or collective driving force that keeps us focus on what we wish to see for the future or have as change! Everything is superficial, we can talk about it over a drink or two or many and forget about it the next day, and only think of talking about it over again on another drink and the circle continues. What you touched are fundamental issues that leave many concerned Cameroonians very worried. We have a long way to go, even the younger generation now consumes alcohol many folds than what the generation before did, and the cycle continues. There are many moral issues including alcoholism that our nation seriously needs cleansing from. These moral issues are mutually related in many ways and unfortunately having alcohol as the unifying alibi. The policeman for example will take bribery from a taxi drive (the taxi driver will cheat the taxi owner, claiming he paid too many bribes to policemen). The policeman/men will end up spending that money in a bar with possibly a high school girl, the high school girl will possible use the money to bribe her way through high school…. whilst the policeman’s family is going hungry and children can't go to school,…. the cycle continues… What is disturbing in this example is that we expect this same policeman to enforce the law for a harmonized Cameroonian society. Not sure what else to say. I remain disturbed like you and stories like this present a case study of the acceptance of what shouldn’t be in a morally structured country. The passive response from our readership is may simply mean deja vu! What next? Kind regards,
Alain A. Taku
For how long are we going to criticise that which has failed?it is a waste of time and resources.i advise that we proceed with investments at small and medium scale levels and bring development to our beloved country.Our strength is seen not in our critics to the evident but the ability to override our obstacles by using education as a instrument.Our gov't officials whom i call French foremen have nothing to offer and as you see,they readily sell that country even for sex.It is in difficult times like these that we know the brains we are all made off and it is a perfect opportunity to turn the situation around.We have failed as a state and we continue to lay frame to the failure for our children.We need to get up with sacrifice and determination.I know that we can achieve if there is a will.Lets make an impact and show proof of a new mindset,that of sustainable development and a framework mutual trust.
Good post. As a current Peace Corps volunteer in Dschang, I witness the copious amounts of alcohol consumed by Cameroonians on a daily basis. As an occasional drinker myself, I was at first quick to write it off as a respite for those who have lost hope to the sad reality of poverty, corruption, inefficient governance, and a whole host of other ills.
However, I recently came to my senses, especially since I'm a teacher, and see how many students complain that there isn't money to buy essential school textbooks. Textbooks which can cost under 3,000 CFA and last several years. At the same time, many parents spend at least 1,000 CFA a day on buying Castel or Mutzig at their local bars. These misplaced priorities are frustrating for me, and even worse, antithetical to educational, and further, general development.
I genuinely hope that Cameroonians come to their senses and stop their rates of alcohol use and abuse, which sadly rank among the highest in the world.
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