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{
    "id": 439875,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/439875/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 260,
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    "content": "and the need for centres where they will be treated. We must recognise this in our country as a public health problem. There are many types of alcohol, but there is only one alcohol we can drink and that is ethanol. Although you can drink it, the final effects on health are grave but the problem we have is that we do not only drink ethanol here but we are drinking other alcohols like methanol and all the rest of them, including formalin which is related. Therefore we need severe public health programmes to educate people on the effect of ethanol which we drink and also the problems of other alcohols that are associated with it and we have not recognised that. I also want to say that it is important that this Bill, as we support it and as we amend the parent Act, must really take into consideration the involvement of the Ministry of Health. In fact, at the time that the legislation of NACADA was in place many of us felt that perhaps NACADA should have been under the Ministry of Health but be that as it is now, I think we must involve the Ministry of Health. This is because when we set up these rehabilitation centres, basically to a large extent you will need health personnel and, therefore, the involvement of the Ministry of Health is key. If you look at the principal Acts that are being amended and what they are saying, the purpose of this one is to advise the Minister on the harmful ingredients of alcohol drinks required to be prohibited. That is a technical issue. The other one is to advise the Minister on the levels, tests and methods used in determining alcohol drinks. Those are technical issues. Therefore, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I really must say that we must really involve the Ministry of Health. We must put these programmes in place. I heard somebody wondering whether we should not use these drugs elsewhere. The truth is that excessive use of alcohol is a disease and must be treated as such, with public health and treatment efforts that are required. I also support the concept of actually targeting tax and particularly as some people said, the sin tax so that the money that arises from this actually can be used in the treatment, rehabilitation and programmes to prevent alcohol use. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we should also---"
}