FORMER ALCOHOL ADDICTS ADVICE PUBLIC AGAINST ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

By Elvis Anwangkani

Arua city

Addicts of Alcoholism have come out to rally communities to desist from excessive consumption of alcohol following their nasty experiences.
According some of them alcohol has been a major hindrance to their personal developments, increased poverty rates and mental illness cautioning public from the act.

Roy Rwothomio, a Boda-boda rider in Arua city explained that alcohol ruined his youthful life.
“Some of the experiences where bad ones. When I was still drinking, it took me a while, I went up to the rehab. I wasn’t too much into it but when I became addicted, that was when the problem started. Most of the time people would see me as someone who was a mad person because imagine me sleeping on the road, without going home, no changing clothes,” he said.

It was one day when God surprised me, I stared vomiting in the morning up to the next morning and that was when I realized that I was about to die. After leaving alcohol, I have at least done something for myself, I struggled to build a small house out of my own money.  Some say if they don’t drink they don’t sleep, those are just mindset issues. I will advise people not to drink,” he appealed.

Bernard Asiku, a field officer with Omia Agribusiness Company testified how his life was destroyed due to alcohol addiction.
“By that time there was no family support. I was jobless with no hope to go back to school. All my friends were those doing alcoholism. I got involved into them. My body immunity started going low. I realized I was running mad.”

“It had taken me to the level of losing my family because my wife said she can’t live with me again. When I received Christ I started farming. I grew watermelon, onions, tomatoes, cabbages. These made me to be perfect again,” he recalled.

Priscila Mudoni, the chairperson Freely Give Ministry, explained some of the psychological, social and health related problems and the possible sicknesses that results out of alcohol addictions that the public needs to be careful about.

“It causes feelings of inferior, relaxation or down drowsiness, vomiting even diarrhea, the digestive system is already spoilt, the liver experiences excessive, leading to fat accumulation. Heavy drinking leads to high blood pressure affecting the heart. It also leads to sugar related issues and as well weakens immune systems which makes the body more venerable to illnesses like ulcers,” Pricilla noted.

“Alcoholism causes damages to the intestines as well as reproductive system, this one leads to infertility, its really expensive and too much for person who finds himself. It takes time. You have to feed yourself with the opposite of what you have been feeding in your recovery,” she added. 
World Health report shows that Uganda is a country in Africa with highest alcohol consumptions rates with over 12.2litres per person annually majorly youths between 18 to 35 years.