Sri Lanka’s tea production is on the decline because of increasing alcohol consumption among the plantation community, weekend press reports said.
The problem has developed into massive proportions in the plantation sector, The Sunday Leader reported, adding chronic drinking was so widespread the industry’s productivity – as well as lives are at stake.
“Often these workers do not turn up for the next day due to hangovers and even if they do, they often are drowsy and are unable to work properly,” says Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (AIDA) Media Spokesperson, Kumari Welegedara.
As a result the workers are prone to accidents frequently and many of them succumb to their injuries. Moreover, alcohol consumption results in poverty and family conflicts affecting their children, adds Welegedara.
According to statistics from the University of Colombo, habitual drinkers in the Estate community spend a staggering 40% of their income on alcohol.
The problem is not confined only to the plantation sector, The Sunday Leader said, adding: “in the rural areas too where farming remains the key livelihood, it has been observed that farmers consume alcohol before ploughing or harvesting their fields.”
Over 500,000 families are Samurdhi recipients and one third of their allowances from the state are spent on alcohol and tobacco, the paper said.
This could cause serious damage deepening the poverty level and depriving family members of their rightful livelihood, observes Sumitharayo Chief, Nalini Ellawala.
It is also noted that most often the children of these families become school dropouts and end up getting used to alcohol and tobacco themselves early in life.
Statistics from Sumithrayo reveal that one in every 10 school-going children drop out from school due to alcohol consumption in their respective homes. Also, for every alcohol consuming person, at least 10 other persons in the family including extended family members get adversely affected.
Ironically, in Sri Lanka though 50% of the women and 20% of the men do not consume alcohol, they silently admonish the non-drinker, the paper noted.
Preparing ‘bites’ to the drinker, supplying money to buy alcohol and condoling physical abuse in silence are some of the trends seen as encouragement to the drinker it also said.
While there are no separate statistics with regard to alcohol, statistics reveal there are around six million social users of drugs including tobacco and betel.
Around 5% of these people are on the borderline and could turn out to be addicts. Therefore anti-drinking organisations are targeting the social users, the motto being, prevention is better than cure.
The problem has developed into massive proportions in the plantation sector, The Sunday Leader reported, adding chronic drinking was so widespread the industry’s productivity – as well as lives are at stake.
“Often these workers do not turn up for the next day due to hangovers and even if they do, they often are drowsy and are unable to work properly,” says Alcohol and Drug Information Centre (AIDA) Media Spokesperson, Kumari Welegedara.
As a result the workers are prone to accidents frequently and many of them succumb to their injuries. Moreover, alcohol consumption results in poverty and family conflicts affecting their children, adds Welegedara.
According to statistics from the University of Colombo, habitual drinkers in the Estate community spend a staggering 40% of their income on alcohol.
The problem is not confined only to the plantation sector, The Sunday Leader said, adding: “in the rural areas too where farming remains the key livelihood, it has been observed that farmers consume alcohol before ploughing or harvesting their fields.”
Over 500,000 families are Samurdhi recipients and one third of their allowances from the state are spent on alcohol and tobacco, the paper said.
This could cause serious damage deepening the poverty level and depriving family members of their rightful livelihood, observes Sumitharayo Chief, Nalini Ellawala.
It is also noted that most often the children of these families become school dropouts and end up getting used to alcohol and tobacco themselves early in life.
Statistics from Sumithrayo reveal that one in every 10 school-going children drop out from school due to alcohol consumption in their respective homes. Also, for every alcohol consuming person, at least 10 other persons in the family including extended family members get adversely affected.
Ironically, in Sri Lanka though 50% of the women and 20% of the men do not consume alcohol, they silently admonish the non-drinker, the paper noted.
Preparing ‘bites’ to the drinker, supplying money to buy alcohol and condoling physical abuse in silence are some of the trends seen as encouragement to the drinker it also said.
While there are no separate statistics with regard to alcohol, statistics reveal there are around six million social users of drugs including tobacco and betel.
Around 5% of these people are on the borderline and could turn out to be addicts. Therefore anti-drinking organisations are targeting the social users, the motto being, prevention is better than cure.
