THE legal drinking age for kava was raised at the public consultation on the Kava Bill this week with calls to regulate the consumption age.
Speaking before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources at the Suva Municipal Market, Ritesh Kumar said the effects of kava consumption among the younger generation was troubling.
Mr Kumar, who is also the chairperson for the Suva Market Vendors Association, spoke fluently in the iTaukei language as he made his case. He said the younger generation were drinking too much of the elixir and there should be a regulation on the drinking age.
“I’ve made a submission where the age should be 25 years before anyone can partake in the consumption of kava.
“It’s spoiling our productivity, and the many lives of our young people. The younger generation are getting lazy,” said Mr Kumar.
He said the over consumption of the drink had caused loss of jobs as a result.
“An estimated $50,000 to $60,000 in cash is exchanged every week among the kava vendors here. It is a very lucrative industry. Despite the increase in price, people are still buying. We should be looking at the social impacts this is having on our people.”
Mr Kumar, however, admits that with the new Kava Bill in place, there will be some semblence of control over the multimillion dollar industry.
“I’m glad that we’re having this Bill as the interest of the kava growers, kava processors, kava exporters and kava importers will finally be addressed.”
Mr Kumar was one of the many market vendors at the Suva Municipal Market who made their submissions.
