Lusaka City Council (LCC) Public Relations Manager has urged parents and guardians to play a critical role in curbing underage drinking.
In an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr. Habeenzu Mulunda disclosed that parents and guardians have the responsibility of ensuring that their children do not abuse alcohol.
He said parents and guardians are the custodians of their children hence they should take keen interest in what activities their children involve themselves.
Mr. Mulunda stated that the council currently has no law which gives penalties to parents or guardians who allow their underage children to engage in drinking alcohol but should ensure that they take responsibility of their children.
He has since warned parents or guardians to refrain from sending their underage children to buy alcohol on their behalf because such acts are wrong and punishable.
Mr. Mulunda also urged bar owners to desist from selling alcohol to minors saying those found wanting will be taken to court and prosecuted.
He also disclosed that the Lusaka City Council is currently sponsoring programs that aim at sensitizing the members of the public on the dangers of underage drinking and its consequences.
The Lusaka City Council, like any other council in Zed must stop giving liquor licences to businesses that do not comply on age limit…but what do we see, there is a shabeen at every street corner, with licences from the council. The bottom line: CORRUPTION!
We are always crying for help when solutions are already there in the world and we don’t need to re-invent the wheel. Please, pass mandatory Responsible Beverage Service and Sales (RBSS) legislation for all sellers and servers of alcohol including all owners and managers to be fully trained and certified by TAVETA or the like. For how long are you going to blame parents who have already done their job of bringing and upbringing the children in this world? The RBSS training provides expertise to licensees and their employees who serve or sell alcohol how to recognise fake identification and when to refuse service or sales of alcohol to intoxicated individuals. Just like a hospital, how can it operate without trained doctors and nurses? Even bars, taverns need skill to run. This is free…
This is free of charge advice.
….it has to start from the top…..the president and his cabinet…the Mvungas…I was shocked at one time to see pupils buying lagers for their teacher at a certain night club….as long as these kids pay or corrupt the door bouncer…they are let loose….bar attenders must be put to task as well….as per our tradition…a child is raised by the whole village….what has happened to that notion..??
Comment:What has happened to the zambia of olden days.when i was growing up in the late 70s and early 80s no one under the age of 18 was allowed to enter beer halls.There was strickly oderliness and every1 respected and adhered to the rules.Not any more thier is discontent and juvenile deliquency in our country simply bcz we have decided to ignore everything.whenver a bad thing is happening everybody chosses to look the other way round.Simply put our morals have gone down as a pipo and as a nation.