It is time to ban alcohol nationwide

I SUPPORT the call by Education Minister James Marape to ban alcohol nationwide.
If I am not mistaken, Justice Minister Dr Allan Marat called for the abolishment of nightclubs last year.
As a leader of this country, he has foreseen the risks and vulnerabilities our young people face against deadly disease like AIDS and other social illnesses and problems. 
The question is how many MPs supported this call last year.
Western Governor Dr Bob Danaya recently threw his support behind Mr Marape as he too, has seen the deadly and ill-effects of alcohol.
If we have the statistics of the past five years on the damage alcohol has caused, it would be a huge bill, not to mention the number of lives it has claimed too.
The magnitude of the damage caused from alcohol consumption is not worth comparing to the lousy tax that is derived from it.
The harm and destruction alcohol is contributing is extremely huge in monetary, social, economic, education and health terms.
For example, I would not be wrong to say that more than 90% of the car accidents in the city are related to alcohol and the same goes with family violence.
How many students are forced to leave school because of alcohol?
How many HIV/AIDS cases are related to alcohol?
Alcohol causes more destruction to our society than its economic return in taxes.
In short, alcohol has no economical value but its contribution to evil and destruction is massive.
Tax is a piece of cloth alcohol producers are using to cover up the destructive and extensive damage caused by alcohol.
Our nation is blessed with natural resources. We have timber, rubber, oil palm, coffee, tea, sugar, cocoa, copra, vegetable, cash crops, cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens, tuna, mackerel, barramundi, crude oil and gas, silver, copper and gold.
PNG is not like some countries around the world which do not have natural resource like Singapore.
PNG does not need the lousy tax from alcohol to run this nation.
When alcohol is banned, we will not face an economic crisis or deficit in the national budget.
When alcohol is banned, there will be less car accidents and loss of lives, a reduction in criminal activities and family violence, lower rate of HIV/AIDS and one less vice for our students.
Therefore, a bill to ban alcohol nationwide must be introduced, tabled and passed in Parliament.
So which leader is going to introduce this bill? 

 
Jonah Lupi
Mt Hagen