Jul 28, 2010 (The Monitor/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- Uganda has maintained the lead in consumption of harmful alcohol in Africa, experts have revealed. Dr Nazarius Mbona, a senior lecturer at Makerere University Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, said Uganda's per capita consumption of alcohol is 19 litres per year compared to an average four litres in other African countries.

"Although alcohol consumption rate is lowering here now, we are still ranked the highest," Dr Mbona said.

In 2005, the World Health Organisation ranked Uganda as the leading consumer of alcohol in the world. The per capita consumption was 19.5 litres, according to the 2004 World Health Organisation report, closely followed by Luxembourg at 17.54 litres and the Czech Republic at 16.21 litres.

Dr Mbona said about 80 percent of the alcohol drank in Uganda is produced informally and this includes crude waragi, muramba, tonto and other locally-brewed contents.

"What amuses us...]]>

July 25--– Randy Gilliland describes his father as the strongest person he has ever met.

But behind the image of a successful small-businessman who rose from humble roots was a man losing a long battle against alcoholism.

Mickey Gilliland shot himself dead in 1995. A few years earlier, his sister Vivian, who was also an alcoholic, had killed herself with a gun in her Florida home.

Randy Gilliland, who believes his family has a genetic link to alcoholism, said he has also suffered from problems. The former vice mayor quit drinking last year.

Since deciding to leave the Hampton City Council, he has held a fundraiser for Mickey's House and Vivian's House, a property that provides aftercare for recovering alcoholics to help smooth the transition between treatment and returning to society.

Gilliland said Friday his father successfully kept his alcohol addiction hidden.

"When you're younger you don't really notice. My father was actually a remarkably...]]>

As California contemplates legalizing the sale of marijuana, the real war over intoxicants in this country is, as always, over alcohol.

Since Prohibition ended in 1933 with the 21st Amendment to the Constitution _ which repealed the 18th Amendment authorizing the ban on alcohol _ states, counties and municipalities have see-sawed back and forth over alcohol sales. States are still passing laws on the sale of alcohol on Sundays, and municipalities and counties are still voting on whether to permit local alcohol purchases.

But as an addiction psychologist and alcohol epidemiologist, I am more interested in another debate over alcohol: whether it can be good for you. This issue arises every five years as the United States issues new dietary guidelines, including for alcohol consumption. In 1990, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans firmly declared that alcohol "has no net health benefit, is linked with many health problems, is the cause of...]]>