Investigation: Why Cameroonians are Slaves to Beer
YAOUNDE - 08 FEB., 2013
© Valentine MULANGO | Cameroon-Info.Net
When prices of fuel, basic commodities and others increase, Cameroonians threaten to protest but when beer prices keeps skyrocketing as the case has always been, everyone stays mute. Why so? We attempted finding out.
When
prices of fuel, basic commodities and others increase, Cameroonians
threaten to protest but when beer prices keeps skyrocketing as the case
has always been, everyone stays mute. Why so? We attempted finding out.
Walking along the streets and neighborhoods in the country one will hardly make 10 kilometers without by-passing an off or on-licence. They have, like many clandestine churches proliferated our streets and guess what? Their greatest stock is made up of alcoholic beverages which are more expensive than non alcoholic.
The irony here is that, a greater part of Cameroonians who claim to be hardly hit by unemployment and poverty go in for the beer despite its skyrocketing prices in recent past. We can vividly remember the famous country-wide strike that sparked off in February 2008 due to increased in fuel prices. But we are still to hear of a national wide protest against a step-up in beer prices.
The lukewarm attitude towards this is obvious, Cameroonians are gripped by an unquenchable thirst for beer explaining why some have made off-licences and snack bars their second home if not the first. The reason for this perpetual thirst for the liquid is what propelled cameroon-info-net to delve into an investigation.
Findings
As this reporter went out finding, some of the things he heard, saw and found were mind-blowing. At Mvog-Mbi, a popular neighbourhood in Yaounde, I met this poor agonizing woman (names withheld) relaxing over a bottle of Amstel beer. She told The Source "I drink like a lunatic. Yesterday I consumed beer worth FCFA 3,000." "I drink because of problems." the aged poor woman continued. She says she has lost her mother, all her uncles are dead and now her son. "What is life? I prefer taking a bottle of beer. If that will kill me, then so be it." she concluded in anguish.
As I moved over to Carrefour Mvog-Mbi, I accosted one Mr. Mbeh Tamba, a popular bar manager. He hinted us that costumers who visit his bar have several reasons. "Youths generally drink for pride while responsible men consume beer in a bid to relax their mind, think or run away from domestic problems." he said. He further explained that he can easily sell about "500" bottles of beer per day adding that the increase in beer prices has no corresponding effect on the purchase rate.
The few I met that do not drink beer but non alcoholic drinks also advanced reasons for their choice but definitely not financially inclined. One Mrs. Ntama Ntama for example said, she detest consuming beer because "its runs in the family gene." Her dad and mum never drank beer so why should she? She pondered. According to her, consuming beer is unprofitable.
Doctor’s Warning!
All bar managers contacted by cameroon info net confirmed the obvious; Cameroonians consume more beer than non-alcoholic beverages. One bar manager was even quoted as saying she sells over a 1.000 bottles of beer some “lucky” days. The plethoric number of dangers advanced by doctors on excess alcohol intake are worthy of nothing. According to Dr. Calista ARREY, Nutritionist at the Central Hospital in Yaoundé, beer is a mixture of carbohydrate and alcohol and contains a considerable high number of calories. She says excess beer consumption therefore leads to an undesirable excitement caused by a chemical substance called alcohol. When this happens an individual may turn to say or do things he will soon regret.
© Valentine MULANGO | Cameroon-Info.Net
When prices of fuel, basic commodities and others increase, Cameroonians threaten to protest but when beer prices keeps skyrocketing as the case has always been, everyone stays mute. Why so? We attempted finding out.
Excessive beer consumption is dangerous!
Photo: © V. K. M.
Photo: © V. K. M.
Walking along the streets and neighborhoods in the country one will hardly make 10 kilometers without by-passing an off or on-licence. They have, like many clandestine churches proliferated our streets and guess what? Their greatest stock is made up of alcoholic beverages which are more expensive than non alcoholic.
The irony here is that, a greater part of Cameroonians who claim to be hardly hit by unemployment and poverty go in for the beer despite its skyrocketing prices in recent past. We can vividly remember the famous country-wide strike that sparked off in February 2008 due to increased in fuel prices. But we are still to hear of a national wide protest against a step-up in beer prices.
The lukewarm attitude towards this is obvious, Cameroonians are gripped by an unquenchable thirst for beer explaining why some have made off-licences and snack bars their second home if not the first. The reason for this perpetual thirst for the liquid is what propelled cameroon-info-net to delve into an investigation.
Findings
As this reporter went out finding, some of the things he heard, saw and found were mind-blowing. At Mvog-Mbi, a popular neighbourhood in Yaounde, I met this poor agonizing woman (names withheld) relaxing over a bottle of Amstel beer. She told The Source "I drink like a lunatic. Yesterday I consumed beer worth FCFA 3,000." "I drink because of problems." the aged poor woman continued. She says she has lost her mother, all her uncles are dead and now her son. "What is life? I prefer taking a bottle of beer. If that will kill me, then so be it." she concluded in anguish.
As I moved over to Carrefour Mvog-Mbi, I accosted one Mr. Mbeh Tamba, a popular bar manager. He hinted us that costumers who visit his bar have several reasons. "Youths generally drink for pride while responsible men consume beer in a bid to relax their mind, think or run away from domestic problems." he said. He further explained that he can easily sell about "500" bottles of beer per day adding that the increase in beer prices has no corresponding effect on the purchase rate.
The few I met that do not drink beer but non alcoholic drinks also advanced reasons for their choice but definitely not financially inclined. One Mrs. Ntama Ntama for example said, she detest consuming beer because "its runs in the family gene." Her dad and mum never drank beer so why should she? She pondered. According to her, consuming beer is unprofitable.
Doctor’s Warning!
All bar managers contacted by cameroon info net confirmed the obvious; Cameroonians consume more beer than non-alcoholic beverages. One bar manager was even quoted as saying she sells over a 1.000 bottles of beer some “lucky” days. The plethoric number of dangers advanced by doctors on excess alcohol intake are worthy of nothing. According to Dr. Calista ARREY, Nutritionist at the Central Hospital in Yaoundé, beer is a mixture of carbohydrate and alcohol and contains a considerable high number of calories. She says excess beer consumption therefore leads to an undesirable excitement caused by a chemical substance called alcohol. When this happens an individual may turn to say or do things he will soon regret.