Cameroon close to banning whiskey sachets

The Cameroonian government has set September 12, 2016, as the target date to ban the manufacture and marketing of whiskey sachets and cans across the country by the Ministry of Industry.

The ban is the result of a September 12, 2014 decision by the government, making it mandatory to apply the required standard for the manufacture of liquors and other spirits in Cameroon.

This regulation excludes from the market, liquors packaged in sachets and cans, since it only allows glass packaging that can be labelled.

The government decision was accompanied by a 24-month moratorium to allow distillers to sell old stocks and adjust their production facilities to the new situation.

According to eyewitness accounts, whiskey sold in sachets and cans does not always meet the required packaging standards, and their relatively copious consumption by consumers has often resulted in deaths.

Bags sold at CFA100 each, are popular, especially among modestly endowed drinkers, regardless of the dire consequences on the health and life of consumers.