5th March 2021, by Citta Widagdo, a Doctoral Researcher in Public Health Law at the University of Birmingham. From Scroll.in
Global data shows that in places where alcohol is prohibited or seen as controversial, there are higher incidents of alcohol poisoning. Still, the Indonesian House of Representatives is planning to draft a bill that criminalizes all those activities that produce, sell, buy and distributes or storage alcohol beverages.
The abovementioned situation leads to a public health risk given that the more restricted the use of alcohol, the higher the risk of people experiencing ill health or death related to methanol poisoning.
Doctors Without Borders and Oslo University have been tracking global data on methanol poisoning monitoring 70 countries, including those where there are more difficulties in accessing alcohol. Results show that where alcohol is prohibited or seen as controversial, there are higher incidents of methanol poisoning due to low awareness on the danger of making bootleg alcohol.
It is important to note that alcohol consumption is not a common lifestyle in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country. Data from Indonesia’s Health Ministry shows that alcohol consumption in Indonesia is at a low rate of 3.3% in 2018.
However, rather that totally banning on alcohol, the government in Indonesia should follow WHO’s guidelines as to strategically reduce the harmful use of alcohol and protect the population’s health by implementing evidence-based, cost-effective regulations and by putting forward awareness and education on the adverse health and social consequences of alcohol use and avoiding excessive criminalisation.
To read the whole article click on the following link: https://scroll.in/article/988485/indonesias-ban-on-alcohol-could-come-with-its-own-health-risks.