Transcript Policy challenges facing IDUs/DUs HIV Prevention, Care and

National Campaign Against Drug
Abuse Authority (NACADAA)
By: Kiragu Wachira
Policy & Legal Consultant- NACADAA
Background
 Drug and substance abuse disorders including
alcoholism is a major public health concern.
 Alcohol abuse negatively impacts on health,
security, academic performance, socioeconomic indicators and cultural welfare.
 WHO estimates that 140 million people
worldwide suffer from alcohol dependence.
 Alcohol is widely used in Kenya-about 61% of
population (NACADAA 2007).
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Justification for Policy
 Need to identify and promote complementary
interests of public health, alcoholic beverage
industry, government revenue source and
individual wellbeing.
 Need to harmonize economic development with
sound health, safety and hygiene for Kenyans.
 Need to balance the benefits connected with
production, sale and consumption of alcohol
against individual and societal costs associated
with its misuse.
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Alcohol Policy meant to:
 Provide framework for addressing alcohol
production, distribution, marketing and
consumption
 Restrict availability and access to alcohol products
by children and youth
 Reduce alcohol-related risk behaviours e.g. binge
drinking and drink-driving among others
 Regulate alcohol consumption contexts and
settings
 Ensure alcoholic products safety.
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Kenyan Experience
The Alcohol Policy is based on following broad
principles:
 Pursuit of a participatory, multi-sectoral and
balanced approach
 Targeted vulnerable groups especially the youth
 Used evidence based interventions
 Integrated harm reduction measures.
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Stakeholders Consultative Meetings
Process was undertaken through consultative
meetings with stakeholders who included:
 Government departments in charge of health,
administration, standards, youth and children affairs
and education among others
 Alcohol and hospitality industries
 Non-state actors involved in drug and substance
abuse management
 Individual professionals, academicians and experts.
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Policy Development Workshops
Three main policy development workshops were
held:
 To identify core policy issues, strategies and
suitable interventions
 For stakeholders to share their experiences and
proposals
 For consensus building and harmonization of
issues and divergent views/positions
 For drafting and dissemination of policy document.
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Ministerial level consultations
Critical consultations for input and feedback held
with:
 Relevant Minister(s)/Permanent Secretaries
 Senior professionals and experts working in the
public sector.
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Challenges during Policy devt
 Consensus building due to strong positions held by
industry and other stakeholders
 Strong lobbying by industry among stakeholders
and policy-makers
 Identifying the core policy issues and critical
interventions acceptable among various
stakeholders
 Societal perspective and culture permissive of
alcohol consumption
 Limited funding for the process.
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Industry’s influence on policy process
The alcohol drinks industry has influenced the policy
process through:
 Strategic funding through Corporate Social
Responsibility to community initiatives in a bid to
portray the industry’s critical contribution to social
development. Examples – schools facility and
education bursary programmes, sporting activities,
hospital facilities and environmental programmes.
 Lobbying with policy-makers and legislators.
 Recruitment of prominent personalities to champion
cause at legislative and policy-making levels.
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Industry’s influence on policy Cont’d
 Publicising their corporate tax remittance to
national revenue base in a bid to demonstrate their
contribution to economic development thereby
influencing policy-making process
 Aggressive marketing (including media) to influence
and shape public opinion thereby creating positive
attitude from the public.
 Financial support to strategic government initiatives
in the name of public-private partnerships
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Industry’s influence on policy Cont’d
 Recruiting local and international consultants who are
fronted to government officials as “neutral resource
persons” and alcohol policy development experts to
advocate for their interests
 Having a bigger stake in the private sector business
associations which influence government policy on
alcoholic beverages business/trade
 Sponsoring local civil society organizations which seek
to work with government in support of industry’s
interests
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Industry’s influence on policy Cont’d
 Offering to sponsor alcohol policy development
workshops
 Through strategically sending their senior staff and
strategists to the alcohol policy development
workshops to influence the outcome
 Seeking partnerships with government in the
underage drinking prevention programmes
 Making hidden/subtle changes in the policy drafts
during the document sharing and exchange process
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Industry’s influence on policy Cont’d
 Extensive campaign against the use of alcohol blow
(device for checking level of intoxication) for drivers
 The industry tracking everything the government is
doing in alcohol policy development
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Response to the Industry’s influence in
policy process
In response to the influence of the industry to the policy
process, the following are some of the mitigating
measures:
 Holding briefing meetings with the minister and
senior government officials in the ministry
 Shaping public opinion through awareness campaign
(media & meetings) on the negative impact of alcohol
abuse
 Building strong alliance of stakeholders supporting
fight against alcohol abuse
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Response to the Industry’s influence in
policy process cont
 Building strong partnership and networking with
public sector officials and policy makers who are allies
in the campaign
 Involving the industry through soliciting their views
on alcohol policy but ensuring that subjective and
sectoral interests do not override overall societal
benefit (this disarms the industry)
 Engaging with professionals and experts in alcohol
policy development to respond to the industry’s
proposals
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Response to the Industry’s influence in
policy process cont
 Selecting policy drafting team that is independent of
the industry’s influence
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Conclusion
 Although the alcoholic drinks industry is very
strategic and proactive in influencing the policy
process, there is hope that governments are able to
make comprehensive alcohol policies that are
balanced and progressive.
 Alcohol abuse is destroying the very fabric of our
society and its imperative for the governments to
be proactive in developing and implementing
comprehensive policies
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END
THANK YOU
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