By Esther Gune.

In the busy trading centres of Adjumani District, cheap sachets and bottled alcohol are easy to find and even easier to afford. But behind this growing trade lies a deepening crisis one that is quietly tearing families apart, leaving women to carry the burden of survival and children to grow up in neglect.

Every morning, long before businesses fully open, some residents can already be seen searching for alcohol instead of engaging in productive work. What may appear as a daily habit is increasingly becoming a serious social, economic, and public health concern.

Local authorities say the situation is alarming.

“The increase of cheap alcohol in the community is very alarming. Early in the morning, people are already looking for alcohol instead of engaging in productive activities,” Eriku Patrick Keleture, the Town Clerk of Adjumani Town Council said.

“We are receiving many complaints related to cheap alcohol. After consuming it, some people end up causing violence and crime in the community, including domestic violence, sexual harassment, and theft,” Eriku added.

He warned that the impact is being felt across families and the wider community.

“Adjumani Town Council is made up of different categories of people, and as an urban setting, we cannot allow cheap alcohol to disorganize families, create criminal cases, and lead to child neglect as we are seeing. As urban authorities, we are committed to putting an end to the spread of cheap alcohol,” he emphasized.

Behind these statistics and warnings are real lives especially women struggling to hold families together.

For many women in Adjumani, survival now depends on their ability to endure neglect and provide for their children alone. In several households, men spend most of their income on alcohol, leaving little or nothing for basic needs such as food, school fees, and healthcare.

Asio Grace, a mother of four in one of the trading centres, says her husband’s drinking has changed everything.

“By the time he comes back home, he has spent everything on alcohol,” she says. “The children depend on me for everything.”

Community leaders say such stories are becoming common, with alcohol abuse increasingly linked to family breakdown and poverty.

According to Dipio Francis, the Probation Officer of Adjumani District, alcohol-related cases dominate the reports they receive.

“Domestic violence cases caused by alcohol consumption are referred to us every day, and it is the leading cause of violence and child neglect in families,” she said.

“Many of these cases involve men who spend most of their income on alcohol and fail to provide basic needs for their families, leaving women to struggle alone while children suffer.”

She warned that if the trend continues, more children will grow up in unstable environments, increasing the risk of long-term social problems.

Health experts are equally concerned about the rising impact of alcohol on the population. Lulu Henry Leku, the Assistant District Health Officer in charge of Maternal and Child Health, says alcohol remains one of the major public health challenges in Uganda.

“During the Risk Factor Behaviour Survey conducted in 2017, 17% of the population reported drinking alcohol, with 18.8% being male compared to 15.4% female. Alcohol use is also higher in urban areas than in rural areas,” he explained.

In Adjumani, the situation is worsening.

“Alcohol intake has increased to 26.8% in 2025, compared to 23.8% in 2023. The number of people consuming alcohol rose from 2,558 in 2023/2024 to 2,784 in 2024/2025,” he said.

He noted that the increase is more visible among men, partly because many interventions currently focus on women.

“The 26.8% we are seeing is higher than the 17% reported in 2017. This is largely driven by cheap bottled alcohol that people can easily afford, yet most of it is not regulated,” he emphasized.

The health consequences are already evident.

“Liver-related complications are among the top ten causes of morbidity in the district. Alcohol is also contributing to mental health problems and increasing cases of suicide in the Madi sub-region,” he added.

Despite the growing concern, cheap alcohol continues to dominate markets and trading centres, often with limited regulation. Vendors say they are meeting demand, but leaders argue that the social cost is too high.

Women and children remain the most affected—bearing the weight of neglect, poverty, and emotional distress. Many families are struggling silently, with little support.

As authorities promise to take action and communities begin to raise their voices, one reality remains clear: the cost of cheap alcohol in Adjumani is not measured by its price, but by the broken homes, lost opportunities, and uncertain futures it leaves behind.

End