THE Hisbah Board in Kano State has secured the conviction of 55 persons for the alcohol consumption during Ramadan.
The Director-General, Abba Sufi, told reporters yesterday in Kano that the convicts were apprehended last week, following raids of their hideouts.
He said they were sentenced to four months imprisonment without an option of fine.
According to him, 50 of the convicts are married men; the remaining are women.
ONCE the Lagos State Safety Commission (Swimming Pools) Regulations 2014 is passed by the state’s House of Assembly, possession or consumption of alcoholic liquor, beer or wine at public swimming pools and around the pools shall be prohibited.
This is contained in an eight-page regulation presented by the Director General of the Commission, Mrs. Odebunmi Dominga, at a one-day stakeholders’ meeting held at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
If the proposed regulations are eventually considered by the House, it shall be unlawful for any person to possess any alcoholic liquor, beer, porter, wine or any other similar malt or fermented beverage at any public swimming pool, public swimming access, street end adjacent to the pool, or any government land immediately adjacent to the pool, except as otherwise lawfully permitted.
The rules, which shall apply to every swimming pool in the state which may be accessed by members of the public either without restriction or subject to club membership or payment of a fee, shall also make it unlawful for any person to swim after consumption of alcohol.
According to the proposed regulations, every public swimming pool shall from time to time be cleaned and maintained, just as there shall be a written programme for the cleaning and maintenance of public swimming pool, which indicate the nature of frequency of cleaning and cleaning schedule.
The proposed law also stipulates that no person shall construct or substantially alter any public swimming pool, beach, wading pool, whirlpool, spa, hot tub, or appurtenances pertaining to health and safety unless a copy of the plans and specifications for the new or altered structures has been submitted to and approved by appropriate authority in the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
A swimming pool operator who contravenes any aspect of the regulations will be liable to a penalty of N250, 000.
A recent report by the Federal Road Safety Commission revealed that Alcohol is responsible for most accidents in the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja).
Without any iota of doubt, Alcohol isone of the potent psychoactive drugs and its social acceptance has made it penetrate all the Classes of Nigerians. The question however is, why is drunk-driving still common despite the various campaigns against alcoholism? Why is it that less people drink poison? Why is it that it is only those that are desperate to die that drink poison?
The answer is not far-fetched. People are convinced about the reality of the consequences of drinking poison while there is less conviction as to the immediate and long-term consequences of drinking alcohol. There are lots of advertisements allowed in the print and electronic media telling the whole world the reasons why people need to drink alcohol. The pressure on people to drink alcohol is more than the information on why people should abstain from it. When an alcohol producing Company is sponsoring a Government Agency to run a campaign on alcohol and driving, will the Agency not be biased in the choice of language against alcoholism?
Government and some relevant Agencies are also playing hide and seek game so as not to offend the Alcohol Manufacturers or hider the inflow of income from them through Taxes.
Sometimes, popular and influential Celebrities are used to advertise different brands of alcohol thereby encouraging people and sadly, the youth to drink alcohol as a socially acceptable drug. There is even a particular brand of alcohol that is being promoted as ablood booster while another one is being promoted as an energizer for men. As long as these activities continue, the drinking of alcohol will continue, not minding the effects on driving and even in the workplace.
The same reason is responsible for the regular accidents involvingarticulated vehicles. The Drivers are not exposed to deep training programmes on the effects of the Principles of Kinetic Energy, Inertia, Centrifugal Force, Centripetal Force, Circular Motion, Road Banking, and Hydroplaning among other Forces thus making them fall prey wherever they encounter any of the above forces in their driving.
All categories of Drivers (Private and Commercial) and vehicle Owners must be exposed to trainingprogrammes that will make them understand and be convinced that driving goes beyond the movement of a vehicle from onepoint to another. A lot of factors interplay in the process of driving which they must know and apply effectively.
One of the solutions to alcohol and driving is to be factual about the real consequences of drinking alcohol with casestudies to prove it. For example, when information about HIV/AIDS came into the country, a lot of people did not believe that it exists but when the evidences or case studies started manifesting, majority of Men and Women now, young and old, either abstain, remain faithful to their Spouses or use Condom to avoid being infected.
For the benefit of those who have not known, and as a reminder to those who already know, I will briefly mention the effects of alcohol- drinking and the hangovereffects on driving.
• Alcohol slows down the body mechanism. This is the reason why you hardly see a drunk person that walks fast,straight or talks clearly and fast.
Because driving is a complex activity that involves the simultaneous use of many organs of the body (Brain, Legs, Hands, Ear, Nose, Eyes etc) Alcohol will slow down the rate of co-ordination of the organs thereby exposing the drunk drivers to hazards on the road.
There is no one that can drive normally as usual after drinking alcohol no matter how little andno matter how much you fake your look or pretend to be unaffected. Alcohol surely reduces a Driver’s ability to drive safely.
• Alcohol is a depressant and it affects most areas of the human brain thereby having wide- ranging effects on the body system. The brain is the control panel of the human body and it is not only the tetra-hydro-canabinol in Indiam Hemp that distorts the normal functioning of the brain. Alcohol also distorts the normal functioning of the brain and consequently the other organs of the body on which safe driving largely depends upon.
• Alcohol slows down the reaction time. For example, if there is an emergency, a drunk driver will be slow in reacting or taking safe decisions.
• Alcohol can fuel drowsiness in adriver thereby exposing him to the dangers of micro sleep.
• Alcohol impairs the judgment skill of the driver, making it difficult for him to correctly judge self-speed, the speed of oncoming vehicles (when trying to overtake), the following distance, and hazard perception.
• Alcohol makes the Driver fearless and have false confidence that his driving is the best. A drunk driver is not afraid to take risks that can lead him to untimely grave. A drunk man can trek to anywhere by 2am without the fear of armed Robbers even at gunpoint. Alcohol makes people put on the garment of fools.
• Alcohol distorts the co-ordination skills of a Driver. It makes it difficult for a driver to effectively co-ordinate the use of gear, horn, turn indicators, brake, etc.
• Alcohol reduces the attention of a Driver. It makes him pay less attention to other road users, traffic signs, road markings and the road.
• Alcohol causes blurred vision thereby making the Driver to see double or not see the road and road furnituresclearly while driving.
• Alcohol aggravates fatigue and allied problems.
• Alcohol has other devastating effects on the health of human beings and it is expedient for anyone that drives to be exposed to the above effects and more so that he or she will be able to choose wisely between life and death.
• Alcohol also has hangover effects which can adversely hinder safe driving. Hence the inappropriateness of the campaign that says”don’tdrink when you drive and don’t drive when you drink”. After taking alcohol, it takes a relatively long time to sober-up and become normal again contrary to people’s believe.
Result-oriented and comprehensiveprevention education coupled with uncompromised enforcement should be employed to attack this monster of drunk-driving in Nigeria.
PEOPLE watching their weight should pay closer attention to how much alcohol they drink since it is second only to fat in terms of calorie content, say experts.
According to the World Cancer Research Fund, alcohol makes up nearly 10% of total calorie intake among drinkers.
Having a large glass of wine will cost you the same 178 calories as eating two chocolate digestive biscuits. And it will take you more than a half hour’s brisk walk to burn off. Unlike food, alcoholic drinks have very little or no nutritional value.
Kate Mendoza, head of health information at WCRF, said: “Recent reports have shown that people are unaware of calories in drinks and don’t include them when calculating their daily consumption.”
It can also reduce your risk of cancer, she said.
Alcohol has been linked with breast, bowel, mouth and liver cancer.
If you don’t want to abstain entirely, there are ways that can help you cut down, including opting for smaller glass sizes, diluting alcohol with soda water or a low-calorie soft drink, alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and keeping a few nights each week booze-free.
If you have had a heavy drinking session, you should avoid alcohol for at least 48 hours, experts advise.