By Petronella Sibeene WINDHOEK Alcohol consumption remains high in the country with the year 2006 recording more than a thousand people admitted to hospitals for alcohol-related mental disorders. Minister of Health and Social Services Dr Richard Kamwi revealed these statistics during the official launch of the Coalition on Responsible Drinking in the Karas Region. According to the minister, based on the health information system of last year, 1085 male and 438 females were admitted for mental/behavioural disorders caused by alcohol, while 331 were admitted for psychoactive substance abuse. Further, 443 patients were detained at the hospitals for liver cirrhosis treatment and 108 of these died. About 1064 patients were admitted due to injury/death related to knife stabbings. The Karas Region has the highest alcohol consumption rate in the country. The Nationwide KAP Baseline Survey on Alcohol and Drug Use 2002 shows that 47 percent of respondents in Karas have problematic alcohol consumption levels, while 40 percent said the first thing they would drink every morning was alcohol. Thirty percent said they were not able to stop drinking alcohol despite attempts to get rid of the habit “This is indeed worrisome,” the minister said. A report on the Status and Living Conditions of Older People in Namibia, conducted by the ministry last year, also revealed that 12 percent of older people in the Karas Region admitted to consuming alcohol while 18 percent reported having been injured as a result of drinking. Despite it being illegal in Namibia to sell alcohol to a person under the age of 18, in 1999 a study conducted by the University of Namibia found that substance abuse among the youths in the country was 50 percent. “It means one out of two young people experiment with alcohol and drugs at a very young age of 13. This is awful,” said the minister. The minister said the figures were alarming. He called for government and the civil society to work together and reduce the harm associated with alcohol abuse in Namibia. “Alcohol is a potent drug that depresses the central nervous system and changes the way people think and feel. Alcohol refers to drinks such as beer, homebrews, wine or spirits containing ethyl alcohol, which is a substance that can cause drunkenness and changes moods and emotions,” said Kamwi. The minister added that regular use of alcohol leads to other problems such as financial and health, and eventually affects one’s performance at work. “In some industries, up to 40 percent of disciplinary cases have a relationship with alcohol or other drugs. Drinking and driving is the main cause of motor accidents, which kill and injure many Namibians,” he said. The minister said scientific evidence has shown that alcohol abuse has many negative effects on the individual and society. He called for a sector-wide approach in promoting responsible drinking in Namibia. The Coalition on Responsible Drinking is a movement initiated by the ministry in collaboration with UNICEF, to install a sense of responsible drinking within communities, as the abuse of alcohol is causing many problems in society.