Health activists want to declare September as Alcohol Awareness Month

Several health activists and government officials on Thursday called for September of each year to be declared “Alcohol Awareness Month” to raise awareness among people about the importance of responsible alcohol consumption.

Rodley Carza, director of the Health Promotion Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health (DOH), said excessive alcohol consumption poses a health risk to people and can lead to liver and heart diseases, stroke, high blood pressure, mental illness and even harm unborn children.

“The burden of alcohol harm in the Philippines is not just a public health problem. It is a vicious cycle of problems that affects families, communities and our economy. The data speaks clearly, because alcohol consumption is linked to a wide range of health problems,” he said at a media forum.

“It is carcinogenic. It causes cancer, especially mouth and throat cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer and others. It also contributes significantly to traffic accidents, domestic violence and abuse. And these damages lead to significant health costs, human suffering and productivity losses.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Ray Reyes of the Ana Kalusugan party-list said he has filed Bill No. 10881 in the House of Representatives, which proposes to declare September as “National Alcohol Harm Awareness Month,” with September 30 being “National Alcohol Harm Awareness Day.”

In his justification, he said that an annual beer festival is held in the Philippines to encourage people to consume more beer and alcohol.

“While alcohol sales may increase government revenue in the short term, the overall economic picture is far bleaker. The financial and social costs of alcohol-related harm far outweigh any benefits of an alcohol tax. The burden on health care, loss of productivity and harm to families are clear arguments for change,” Reyes said.

In July, health activists called for an increase in the excise tax on alcoholic beverages in an effort to reduce consumption of these products in the Philippines and protect people from the health risks and even death caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/912798/health-advocates-push-for-higher-sin-tax-to-curb-alcohol-consumption/story/

The Action for Economic Reforms organisation had previously stated that a law must be passed requiring an annual increase in excise taxes in order to achieve the global target of reducing harmful alcohol consumption by 20% by 2030.

Finance Minister Ralph Recto had said he would not impose additional taxes in view of the high inflation. —KBK, GMA Integrated Messages