Alcoholic beverages manufacturers may soon be required to compensate consumers for illness or death arising from consuming their products.
If draft amendments to the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act introduced by Imenti Central MP Gideon Mwiti sails through the National Assembly, alcohol manufacturers or importers will be required to pay between five and 10 per cent of the value of their products for insurance premiums to cover their customers.
The amendments are intended to ensure consumers’ medical or funeral expenses linked to alcohol consumption are catered for if confirmed by a doctor.
According to the amendments, alcoholic products will bear a sticker of the insuring firm failure to which the manufacturers or importers will be prosecuted.
In addition, insurance firms will compensate consumers any marriages that come to an end if one of partners over indulges and fails to fulfill his or her domestic duties and responsibilities.
Incase of domestic violence caused by excessive alcohol intake, the amendments provide that in the event of any damages — be it psychological, mental or material — compensation should be done under the said provisions.
Victims who lose their source of income because addiction then admitted to a rehabilitation centre should seek refund of treatment costs from insurers.
“A consumer who has drank for more that 20 years ought to compensated incase of illness or death,” said Mwiti.
He said insurers will also be required to pay court fines and related costs such breakdown charges for motorists arrested for drunk diving.