District officials in Lamwo are gearing up to pass a bylaw that will reduce the consumption of sachet warage in the district.

They say that the level of alcohol consumption is at a record high and the sachet drinks are proving to be a risk to the health of those who consume it which also affects their family.  Furthermore, it is believed to be the main cause of incidences of suicide and spouses buttering the partners to the death. More than eight people have recently died so far in the district of Lamwo due to alcohol consumption. 

The chairman for Lamwo district Mr Mathew Ocen Akiya told Acholi Times on Wednesday that it’s the availability of the waragi in most of the shops and bars, coupled with the poor control of alcohol consumption that makes many men and women get drunk, which often results into domestic violence.

Mr Akiya said that they are soon going to have a meeting with all the councillors and some of the elders to pass a bylaw that can limit the rate of drinking in the district so that some men can go digging rather than looking for where to drink every morning. 

“We have realized that all the killing and suicide happening here is coming as a result of the so called sachet waragi because they are available in many shops and easy to carry by the consumer,’ he said.

He added that many youths are often idle in trading centres drinking sachet waragi without engaging in productive activities that can make their life better. 

The Councillor LCV for Agoro sub county Mr Emmanuel Obwango said that there is a need to pass a law because there are some  men in his sub county who resort to drink and have forgotten forgetting pay their children in school. 

Mr Obwango said that some of the men drink heavily; “they should suspend alcohol consumption and turn to produce food to support their families.” 

“There are some serious men around who are doing better in farming, with the introduction of Ox-plough the situation is improving in the sub county where I am coming from,” he said.

Mr Phillip Odwar 60 an elder of Aweno – Olwii village in Lokung Sub County said that people should ignore sachet waragi and turn to Kwete (local brew). 

Odwar said that at their time there was no alcohol coming from factories, saying that they were drinking local brew and that is why they are still living. 

“Our youths die when they are young this time because they are drinking chemical instead of alcohol,” he said.

Odwar said that the leaders in the district should open their eyes on some of the alcohol coming into the district in sachets.