Effects of Consumers Perceived Barriers to the Implementation of Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, 2010 on Compliance

Abstract

Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the country and poses the greatest harm to Kenyans as evidenced by the numerous calamities associated with excessive consumption and adulteration of illicit brews. This problem of alcohol misuse has led to increased demands for law enactment to respond to alcohol-related incidents and with widespread public concern about the effects of alcohol on the community. This study sought to establish effect of consumers’ perceived barriers to the implementation of Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, 2010. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The target population comprised of all alcohol premises operators and alcohol consumers in hospitality alcohol establishments in Eldoret town. Purposive sampling was used in selecting five Hospitality alcoholic premises as per the Act licensing categories in the Eldoret Town. This included; a bar, a club, a restaurant, a hotel and members club. Simple random sampling was used to select 10% operators from the selected alcoholic hospitality establishments generating 21 alcohol operators while systematic sampling was used to generate 84 alcohol consumers. Questionnaire and interview schedule was used to collect data. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics; frequencies and percentages, and subjected to regression analysis to establish the effect. The study established that perceived barriers significantly affect compliance (β = -0.191, p = 0.038), and that it predicts40.7% compliance to the act. The study recommended that there is need for active grassroots and community engagement in the legislative implementation processes related to alcohol. This should include informal social control related to community norms or the activities of concerned citizen groups or community alcohol prevention coalitions.