One of the health experts in Mulalanje district, Alick Dovu has bemoaned the increasing alcohol abuse among the youth in the district.

Dovu said a tendency by parents who allow their children to take alcohol during the traditional ceremonies is fueling the drinking behavior among the youth.

“Many traditional celebrations are associated with beer drinking since most people from this area believe that drinking beer is the only way of showing that someone is happy. So the youth are also allowed to take the beer for them to be part of celebrations,”said Dove who is the School Health and Nutrition Coordinator for the district.

“Parents don’t see anything wrong in that but this gradually makes the youth to adapt to the behavior and later they become addicted.”

Dovu added that the task of sensitizing the youth about the dangers of taking alcohol at a tender age is facing challenges because parents are usually in the forefront in promoting the behavior hence exposing the health of the youth to dangerous environment both physically and mentally.

He said that the situation usually becomes worse during the initiation ceremony periods, when local beers are brewed by parents to celebrate with their children who have been initiated as per their tradition.