Botswana President Wants Alcohol Consumption Cut to Curb AIDS By Joseph Balise
Oct. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Alcohol consumption in Botswana, where the government plans to implement a 30 percent levy on beer, wine and spirits, needs to be curbed to prevent the spread of HIV, President Ian Khama said.
``We have long been aware of its role in promoting the spread of HIV, as well as the significant contribution to anti- social, risky and criminal behavior,'' Khama said in a speech to mark the country's independence from Britain 42 years ago.
Botswana has the world's second-highest number of adults living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, with 24 percent of people infected, according to the United Nations AIDS Agency. Swaziland has the world's highest rate, with 26 percent carrying the virus.
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