The debate about alcohol consumption is once again live on our tongues following Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's suggestion that county governments drastically cut down on the number of bars in their jurisdiction.
There are many arguments supporting or opposing the DP's suggestion, but the debate about alcohol comes down to society and economics. There's an entire industry built around making alcoholic beverages and supplying them to the market.
Today we take a different look at alcohol. We all know the good and bad of alcohol, so no need to repeat the obvious, is there? The real question is: Why do people drink alcohol? Other than getting drunk from it, why else do people take huge risks to get alcohol?
Recall during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020, when bars were closed but police would find revellers who had sneaked inside for a drink? Some people would go drinking during curfew hours, risking severe beatings from police, but they took the risk anyway. The closure of bars led to a huge increase in the number of wines and spirits shops.
In Nairobi alone, the county liquor board reported that 1,648 wine and spirits shops were registered in 2020 compared to 440 in 2019. That marked a 274 per cent increase in new wines and spirits outlets, largely driven by the national closure of bars that year. There was also an increase in alcohol sales by online retail outlets.
Bars were reopened in 2021 but police still engage in cat-and-mouse games with people found inside beyond the 11pm official closing time. So, why is there an uncontrollable urge among consumers of alcohol to keep drinking?
"Alcohol is part of my lifestyle. I was drinking before I got married and I continue drinking to this day," Sara Wakio, 45, says. A widow and mother of two, Wakio recalls with fondness the days when she would drink with her late husband at their home after dinner. "I'm used to alcohol; it helps me sleep," Wakio says. She takes a bit of it in the morning to "unlock", a term referring to taking alcohol to ease a hangover.
Robert Mwalimo, in his early thirties, says he takes alcohol late in the night after chewing jaba (muguka leaves). The alcohol helps him cancel out the effects of muguka, a stimulant that keeps users awake. "For me, jaba and alcohol go together. I can't take alcohol without chewing jaba." Mwalimo says.
A 22-year-old job seeker who gave his name only as Timothy says he takes alcohol because all his friends take it. "We have lots of fun when we hang out together," Timothy says. How does he afford to drink when he doesn't have a job? "When I don't have money, my friends buy the drinks and we drink together till late into the night."
Retired civil servant Andrew Karani says he goes to the village bar every evening to spend time with his peers. "I go there to meet fellow wazee (elders). We went to school together, we got jobs together and we have been drinking together before we met our wives!" Karani says.
TWO MOTIVES
These few testimonies show that most people take alcohol to socialise and to help with falling asleep. A report published by the US-based National Library for Medicine establishes two motives for alcohol consumption: to cope with stress and because of social influences. Within those two motives, alcohol consumers say they drink to become more sociable, to increase their influence among peers, to escape problems, to get drunk or simply to enjoy the moment.
Anne Gathoni, separated and trying to get back into the dating scene, says she asks for red, dry wine whenever she's out on dates. "I enjoy the date better when I'm taking wine," Gathoni says, further proving the power of alcohol in enhancing sociability.
Simon Mbuvi, a 28-year-old graphic designer, says he can't stop drinking because it's a habit he picked up in university. "I started taking alcohol with classmates while studying in Mombasa. We had lots of adventures over there. I can't go for a day without alcohol, whether it's beer, keg, vodka or mnazi (coconut wine)," he says.
Scientists generally agree that human beings developed a taste for alcohol after consuming fermented fruits. An article in Science magazine suggests that primates, which include humans, monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees, gained the ability to digest alcohol 10 million years ago, when they started eating fruits that had been on the ground for a while. "Fallen fruits, when they're exposed to bacteria that convert sugars to alcohols, will begin to accumulate ethanol," reads part of the article.
From a nutritional perspective, fermented fruits yield more nutrients compared to unripe fruits. The ability to tolerate the alcohol found in fermented fruits gave primates an advantage because they could eat fruits that would otherwise have been left to rot. With time, humans learnt how to exploit fruit fermentation to make wine.
Scientists believe a similar process was at work with regard to grains such as wheat, rice, barley and sorghum. Dr Patrick McGovern, an expert in ancient beverages, told National Geographic magazine that as humans began fermenting grains, they discovered the froth has a mind-altering effect. We now know fermented grains produce alcohol and we call the froth 'beer'.
Dr Claire Rostron, senior lecturer at the Open University, traces alcohol consumption back to 10,000 years ago. Humans discovered that alcoholic beverages had medicinal properties and that the drinks were healthier than water from a river. Humans got attracted to alcohol due to its taste, its effects on sociability, pain relief and its ability to induce sleep.
It may help us to drop off faster but not sleep better as it interferes with the deep sleep the mind needs to remember things
NOT FOR SLEEPING
Rostron, however, warns that sleep from alcohol is bad for your memory. "It may help us to drop off faster, but alcohol doesn't result in a better quality of sleep," she says. Alcohol interferes with the deep sleep the mind needs to remember things. This explains why some people can't remember what they did after a night of heavy drinking.
African traditional societies had their alcoholic beverages, but, due to the lack of large-scale grain or fruit plantations, the quantities of alcohol produced were generally low. Alcohol consumption in pre-colonial African society was, therefore, restricted to social gatherings, such as weddings and circumcision ceremonies. In current times, alcohol is available anytime, anywhere to anyone who can afford it.
As seen from the testimonies in this article, lots of people believe alcohol is an important part of their lives. This is why attempts at limiting the consumption of alcohol are hard to enforce. Alcohol has become an important part of human socialising.
Alcohol produced illegally in unsafe conditions is a worrying concern. Though dangerous, low-income consumers like it because it is cheap. The Bar Hotels Liquor Traders Association of Kenya (BAHLITA) argues that efforts aimed at fighting excessive alcohol consumption should be directed at illegal distilleries, not licensed establishments.
"Close to half of the alcohol in the Kenyan market is illicit, our market share is 55 per cent. 45 per cent is illicit and counterfeits. Let's not sacrifice bars and restaurants," BAHLITA chairman Simon Njoroge said in a press conference.