To reduce alcohol abuse, we all need to look at how we are raising and engaging our children

On Friday, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, our Minister of Health, starred in a rather cool PSA (public service announcement) beseeching young people to reduce their alcohol consumption. The video, which went viral on Twitter, is part of the ‘Tunywe Less’ (let's drink less) drive, a campaign that seems to have been borne out of some of the shocking findings revealed in the Second Rwanda NCDs Risk Factors Survey. According to the survey, which was released on June 30, overall national alcohol consumption had increased by 7% since 2013, with 61.9% of all male respondents having consumed alcohol within 30 days of the survey, up from 52.2% in 2013. Women were found to drink far less than men, with 34.3% of women admitting to drinking, slightly higher than the 31.5% who did in 2013. My column last week, in which I detailed my own 'alcohol journey', piggybacked off this comprehensive study. I wrote about when I started drinking (at 16 years) and why I started drinking (to fit in, to prove that I was mature, out of sheer boredom). Concluding the column, I promised to share a few practical ideas to reduce alcohol consumption, especially in young people. I'll divide the ideas into two segments: at a micro level (family) and at the macro level (state). While speaking to a medical professional who works at the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), I was shocked to find out that an extremely large number of Rwandan children (some below 10 years of age) are being exposed to alcohol by their own parents, especially in many rural parts of this country. This practice, which may have some grounding in certain traditionally held beliefs, is, in my opinion, almost tantamount to child abuse. Especially because alcohol consumption at such tender ages leads to slower brain development and stunting. I don't think that these parents are knowingly poisoning their children; rather, they don't know any better. So, it's up to educated family members and local opinion leaders to educate them. As parents, how children relate to themselves (and their peers) is something that we have some control over. Not all, but some. Very often, the feelings of inadequacy and lack of confidence that young people manifest in certain harmful behaviors (including alcohol abuse) are directly correlated to the manner in which they were raised by their parents. Were their parents physically and psychologically abusive towards them? Did they have the space to have their voices heard? Were they given assurances by their parents that they were valued? Very often, children will mirror their parents' behavior. So, if one or both parents normalize alcohol abuse, there is a high chance that their children will do so as well. A lot of the conversation around substance abuse in Rwanda puts a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of the young people. It's my belief that that is unfair. As parents, we need to spend a bit more time in introspection and ask ourselves; what can we do better? How can we pour more into our children? How can we be better examples? How can we prepare them for a world where they are told that they are not good enough, intelligent enough, thin enough, or beautiful enough? At the national level, I think that the model that the United Kingdom utilizes to fund its Olympic athletes can be mirrored here with a few tweaks and adjustments. Every year, a certain amount of money is ring-fenced by the UK's national lottery and directed towards sports development. This direct funding (over £300 million was spent in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics) has catapulted the UK into the ranks of the elite Olympic nations. Without this funding, only God knows where they would be. One of the shining jewels that we have in Kigali (beyond the Convention Center and BK Arena) is Club Rafiki in Nyamirambo. At Club Rafiki, young people are able to play sports (basketball, volleyball, table tennis, and karate), do their homework in the small library, and socialize in a manner that builds both mind and body. Now imagine if every akagari (cell) in Rwanda had one such community center. Imagine what it would do for young people. Beyond allowing young people to showcase their sporting prowess, it would give them something to do beyond drinking at the local bar. But how would we fund such a program? Through a small, ring-fenced 'youth development tax' on tobacco and alcohol sales. This small 2-4% tax increase on alcohol and tobacco would be ring-fenced for the construction and maintenance of local youth community centers around the country. I think it would be a win-win. It might lower overall alcohol consumption (due to the increased price of alcohol and tobacco) while at the same time creating a better experience for our young people. And that, I think, is a goal that we can all align on. The writer is a socio-political commentator

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To reduce alcohol abuse, we all need to look at how we are raising and engaging our children