Need to review alcohol ban in SHP

 A POLICEMAN is dead, a police vehicle burnt and countless problems related to the alcohol ban go unreported in the Southern Highlands. 

While ban has resulted in many positive changes, the problems created are far too many.

I urge the SHP administration and relevant bodies such as churches, youth and community leaders and parents to sit together, rethink and analyse the ban.

One alternative would be to end the ban and impose more stringent measures such as impri­sonment of up five months for being drunk and beha­ving disorderly in public and hefty fines of up to  K1,000.

The other is to maintain the ban but allocate an annual budget to monitor the ban, equip relevant checkpoint with manpo­wer and necessary logistics, and conduct an annual review through questionnaires or surveys.

With the 2012 general election coming up and work on the LNG project  now in progress, there is a serious need to address this issue.

Fredrick Keviame

Port Moresby