Curb access of underaged, people with mental issues to booze  – lawmakers

Alcoholic drinks. INQUIRER.net Stock Photo

MANILA, Philippines — A bill that aims to limit access of underage drinkers and people suffering from mental disorders to alcoholic beverages has been filed in the House of Representatives.

In filing House Bill No. 1753, Davao 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte and ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Yap recognized the youth’s important role in nation-building and the government’s obligation to address alcohol abuse among young people.

The proposed law was filed Monday, but copies of which were released to the media on Wednesday.

Under the bill, people below 21 years old will be prohibited from possessing, buying, or consuming alcoholic drinks within an establishment regardless of who bought them. It also bars the selling or providing alcoholic drinks to persons below 21 years old.

But the proposed measure likewise defines unqualified individuals to possess, buy, or consume alcoholic beverages – thus, not assuring anyone aged 21 and above can easily access booze.

By classifying people 21 or older as “unqualified” for alcoholic drinks, if they cannot fully take care of themselves or protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, or discrimination, abuse among young people will be reduced.

“The youth has a vital role in nation-building and it’s the duty of the state to promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being,” Rep. Duterte explained.

“The state shall undertake efforts to eliminate alcohol abuse and reduce underage drinking by prohibiting unqualified individuals’ access to alcohol,” he added.

In the bill’s explanatory note, Duterte said the World Health Organization (WHO) puts alcohol consumption as the third-highest cause of poor health worldwide, as around 2.5 million people die yearly from prolonged alcohol abuse.

A big chunk of the deaths, Duterte also noted, involve young people.

“WHO further highlights that apart from the physical well-being, a wide variety of alcohol-related problems can have devastating impacts on individuals and their families and can seriously affect community life,” the lawmakers said in the explanatory note.

The proposed measure likewise provides interventions for unqualified individuals, depending on the severity and frequency of the offense:

• For the first offense, the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) will counsel the Unqualified Individual before such one is properly handed over to the parent/s or guardian/s.
• For the second offense, the violator will be required to attend, together with the parent/s or guardian/s, two (2) consecutive regular sessions of counseling conducted by the BCPC, which shall include this matter as part of its session’s agenda.
• For the third and every subsequent offense, the unqualified individual shall be handed over to the DSWD office with jurisdiction over the locality of the residence of the child, for appropriate counseling and proper disposition on the matter.

This is not the first time lawmakers tried to restrict who can purchase and consume alcoholic beverages.

In 2013, former Quezon 4th District Rep. Angelina Tan — a physician by profession — filed House Bill No. 258, preventing minors from drinking alcohol and entering establishments where alcoholic drinks are being sold.

However, no law has been passed on the matter, except a 1979 Presidential Decree from late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., which bans the sale of volatile substances and liquors with an alcoholic content of 30 percent and above.

So this means that beer and other light alcoholic drinks may still be accessible to minors, prompting various cities and municipalities to enact their own ordinances to limit underage drinking. — With reports from Andy Hoo, INQUIRER.net trainee

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