Kinondoni district in Dar es Salaam the area with most alcohol selling points in Tanzania

Researchers have established that Kinondoni district in Dar es Salaam is one of the areas with most alcohol selling points. Bars and centres where music festivals take place, with revelers preferring alcohol, are a familiar scenario.

These areas include Shekilango Road, particularly on the junction with Morogoro road; on both sides of Mori Bus Stand; Afrika Sana towards the junction on Ali Hassan Mwinyi road. Bars located in the areas attract huge number of youth.

Recently, I negotiated my way to one of them near Mori Bus Stand and was shocked to see young men sipping their beer, engaged in discussions, about sex. I got an opportunity to interview some of them, to learn one or two things about why they preferred drinking.

Rizi (not his real name) aged 18 years now said I did not get an opportunity for secondary school and I no longer want to stay at home and does not wish to have further education in the future, even if the opportunity presents itself to him. He says his parents might have contributed for him to end studies prematurely, as they did not push him to that end.

Now I have grown up; I am employed by my relative as a shopkeeper. If I get some money in the evening we meet for one or two bottles (of beer) with my friends.

I don’t mind if I drink until past midnight,” he says.

 Another youth who volunteers her little time to answer my questions is Neema.

She is out of school after completing her Ordinary Level Secondary School Education but she says she will go for further education later, declining to specifically say when. 

Neema (19) is always in high spirits to get beers on several days of the week.

 Neema says that she was influenced to drink by what was going on in her family. Her parents, drink and as much as she can recall they have been serving it at home and that made her adapt to drinking.

“I like it here or near the junction of Shekilango/Morogoro Roads than at home because I meet friends, we socialize, we talk a lot about life to come, some are former school mates, others neighbors while there are some we have just found them in places like this and we stick with them.

After all we drink and get nyama choma for free, that is fine and I am enjoying myself,” says Neema.

A Family and Public Health Consultant, Dr Ali Mzige calls for control in alcohol consumption, specifically saying drinking during pregnancy is the leading known cause of birth defects. He says the amount of alcohol required to cause fetal alcohol is unknown hence pregnant women are advised to abstain from drinking alcohol altogether.

To others, he says, alcohol abuse overworks liver and kidney so that it could lead to liver cirrhosis and renal failure respectively.

“There’s no room for complacency when it comes to reducing the harmful use of alcohol. The government must work hard to review its alcohol policy to spare the young generation,” he says.