Top government leaders under the Unity Club recently suggested for the legal alcohol drinking age in Rwanda to rise from 18 to 21 years.

This was triggered by the high numbers of the country’s youth falling for alcohol and drugs at a tender age, something that affects not only their well-being but also that of the country.

This however spiked a heated discussion on several social media platforms, with some lauding the move noting that it will help in partly preventing the issue of drug addiction, though some argue that this is a short term solution with short term impact, and that drinking among youth needs to be addressed from the root cause.

"Increasing the drinking age will discourage young people from drinking in safer environments for fear of being caught drinking," said Claude Nyandwi, a university student.

According to him, young people will drink regardless, so the focus should be on ensuring they drink responsibly.

"In line with business, that&039;s a portion of clients we lose who may still acquire alcohol illegally. Instead of pretending that alcohol prohibition is a realistic option, we should look for ways to teach young people how to make informed choices," said Ratifa Akimana, owner of Fifi's liquor store.

What the law says

Innocent Muramira, a Kigali-based private lawyer, confirmed that the move would not conflict with existing laws.

Currently in Rwanda, the law stipulates that a person has attained is considered an adult when they are 18 years old. At 18, one is able to vote and is considered capable of making responsible decisions.

"Just like in Rwanda, where marriage is only permitted at the age of 21. It would be comprehensible to decide to raise the drinking age to 21," he said. He added that the law only needs to be backed up by research and evidence to be valid.

Other experts also note that raising the legal drinking age to 21 could significantly reduce motor vehicle accidents among people aged 20 and under. People can currently obtain a driver's license at the age of 18.

Medical point of view

This year’s statistics from Ndera Neuro-Psychiatric Teaching Hospital indicates that 70 per cent of youth admitted with mental health issues are induced by alcohol and drugs.

Dr Divine Misago, a certified clinical psychologist, says that depression is common among people battling an addiction to drugs or alcohol, but that the latter could be both a factor leading to and a result of depression.

"Substance abuse can trigger or intensify the feelings of loneliness, sadness and hopelessness often indicative of depression. But banning alcohol consumption could not necessarily be a solution to depression if it's not the real cause but rather a way to cope with depression,” she said.

She basically means that, rather than simply restricting access to alcohol, addressing the rising rates of depression among young people would necessitate identifying the root cause of the problem. She did emphasise, however, that substance abuse is not a healthy coping mechanism when dealing with depression.

She advised people to normalise seeking help before it's too late, by seeking professional advice through counselling and therapy.

"Drinking, whether as a cause or as a result, will only exacerbate depression. Restricting alcohol consumption is one approach, but it is insufficient because people over the age of 21 are also part of those dealing with depression," she said.

What the polls say

Over 658 social media users took part in a Twitter poll held by The New Times. Among those, 58 per cent voted in support of the decision, while 33 per cent voted against it.

With Instagram, 210 people participated in the poll and 124 (59 per cent) were for the suggestion while 86 (41 per cent) were against it.

One of the participants, Alain Muvunyi, a Twitter user, shared that adjusting the legal drinking age has never solved effects of alcoholism but education can.

"That legal drinking age has never solved alcoholism problem anywhere. An 18 year old who wants to buy booze for 10k will give a broke adult 500 RwF to buy on his /her behalf! What we need is EDUCATION! Introduce your kids to responsible drinking the same way we should for sex.”