Friday, March 29, 2024

ZAMBIAN BREWERIES APPOINTS EXPERT ON RESPONSIBLE DRINKING

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Dr Mulimansenga Michael Chanda
Dr Mulimansenga Michael Chanda
Zambian Breweries has named Dr Mulimansenga Michael Chanda as the first independent chairperson of its Sales and Marketing Compliance Committee (SMCC), tasked with ensuring that alcohol is consumed responsibly.
One of the group’s main tasks is to promote responsible drinking, and as a public health physician, a health development specialist and an advocate for a national alcohol policy, Dr Chanda was seen as the ideal candidate for the post.
He is the first independent chairperson of the SMCC, having been chosen from outside Zambian Breweries, so as to avoid any possible bias within the committee.
The SMCC was set up last year, and has representatives from each department of Zambian Breweries, including sales, production, legal, human resources, finance, marketing and corporate affairs.
Dr Chanda has been practising for 20 years, and is also a part-time senior lecturer at the University of Lusaka. He is working full-time at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Discover Health project, where he is deputy in charge of health systems.
Dr Chanda was invited by Zambian Breweries to join the SMCC as a result of his skills as a health policy analyst and also his business experience. Previously he was instrumental in the Zambian Alcohol Policy as chief technical adviser, a process in which Zambian Breweries played a critical role more than eight years ago.
“I have a passion to ensure that the brewing of beer, distribution and its consumption, is carried out within the provisions of the land and the existing company policies,” said Dr Chanda.
SMCC undertakes an in-depth study of drinking practices, and looks at the type of beer which is approved, any age restrictions (currently, 18 years and above), the place of drinking (for example, buses prohibit alcohol) and the time of drinking. The committee actively discourages drinking and driving, the operating of machinery while under the influence of alcohol, and drinking while pregnant.
It also analyses advertisements before they are made public. If any fail to conform to the rules, they are dropped; others are recommended for review while those that do meet the required standards are approved.
The purpose of the Zambia National Alcohol Policy is to ensure responsible drinking and to protect members of the public, whether they choose to drink or not.
As part of its drive to encourage responsible drinking, Zambian Breweries recently partnered with the Road Safety and Transport Agency (RTSA) and has arranged to accompany the organisation during some patrols. The company has provided funds for breathalysers for RTSA and is planning to fund more. It has also been promoting messages on the dangers of drinking and driving.
The committee has achieved considerable success in helping to educate bar tenders and owners: “Some saw the Liquor Licensing Act for the first time. This is a huge achievement. We are also helping the government to disseminate information. Thousands have been trained and many more are yet to be trained. Some did not know that they have the right not to give another beer to a drunken customer and can stop one from drinking,” Dr Chanda explained.

11 COMMENTS

  1. King James Bible Proverbs 20:1
    Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

  2. lekani bantu bamwe moba not ivo! everyday its a Party to some of us after Payment for Ghost supplying ku Ministry!

  3. Proverbs 23:31-32 English Standard Version (ESV)

    31 Do not look at wine when it is red,
    when it sparkles in the cup
    and goes down smoothly.
    32 In the end it bites like a serpent
    and stings like an adder.

    • Wow!

      “In the end it (wine) bites like a serpent
      and stings like an adder”.

      So the authors of the Holy Book also experienced hangovers after drinking wine!

    • I feel for Dr.Chanda because he’s heading for his first failure in his profession!!! No beer no sleep! Typical of a failed economy.

  4. ..this is the most ridiculous portfolio one can have especially in da country like Zambia….to promote responsible drinking..???…eeish
    …a bar tender denying a loaded Zambia one more beer for the road…that’s next to impossible…..the feasible parameter for someone to declare me as a drunk is to employ the use of breathalyser or to make me walk on a straight line….which bar man would scum me to that…??
    ..useless and meaningless posts…instead ZB should employ someone to look into how they can compensate those injured or killed as a result of drink driving…

  5. So he will be moving like a spirit to check on the drunkards?. If so then I propose RTSA has less job to do. Let them extend his appointment to sundowner.

  6. Ba Chanda mwaume, mulemoneka chakolwa pa cinso cenu! ati an expert for the responsibility of drinking! what is responsible drinking? you want to take up the duties of pastors, what will be left of them to preach? so ba chanda ni ba moralist? elolwanya mayo!

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