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EAST AFRICAN STANDARD, Monday, December 2, 2002

I am writing in response to the letter titled " Pro-chang’aa arguments are indefensible" (East African Standard, November, 27, 2002)

Writer Rev. Saneta M. Maiko felt that Mr. Joseph Kaguthi, not only as a senior government officer, but also as the co-ordinator of Nacada had nearly lost it by advocating for the legalising of chang’aa.

Space will not allow me to go into the background of chang’aa and other brews which had been banned from colonial times.

However, he goes on to call chang’aa a " dangerous intoxicant" further citing reliable sources to state " chang’aa is the fourth leading cause of preventable mortality in Kenya".

All the effects of chang’aa that the reverend gave are not caused by chang’aa alone but by any alcohol whether the finest wine or beer if abused. The active ingredient in all these drinks is ethanol.

However, chang’aa and other illegal brews harm the drinker due to substances added or improper distilling methods that contain methanol which causes the blindness and other distress.

Brewers add all kinds of substances including sisal juice, components from used dry cells and even methanol. This is the main reason we should legalise the brew.

It is just an alcoholic drink like any other.

By making it legal, we will stop having the periodic deaths due to methanol and other additives’ poisoning.

And as we all condemn chang’aa, nobody as we all condemn chang’aa, nobody is looking at the legal aspect of other spirits which are being sold as " easy to carry" mini-packs and are being consumed by our youth in huge quantities. These drinks come under many names and are heavily advertised in the media.

They are so cheap as to be readily affordable by a gullible youth. They do not stop to ask about the ingredients or advisability of consuming these mini-packs. The ignorant abuser today is probably the alcoholic of tomorrow. What we should be concerning about is who is to be allowed to drink (age), where and what times.

If we turn a blind eye today, these youths will be tomorrow’s alcoholics.

David Ogot Snr.,
Recovering Alcoholic.

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