Well, nowadays, a drink called samsu which contains caramel,water ,alcohol and sugar is easily available and sold at a cheap price often become an alternative alcoholic drink among teenagers. I totally advocate for a ban on Samsu because the consumption of samsu has become a habit, avery bad habit that even a children can buy it without any hassle. The price for 1 bottle of samsu range from RM 3 to RM 5 and hence making it affordable to children. You might wonder is there any law that governs the selling of samsu? Well , there is! Under section 32(1) and 33(1) of the Excise Act 1976, no person can sell ( either wholesale or retail), intoxicated liquor either for use in the premise or outside without a licence. The licence issued must specify the precise place where sale is allowed. Any sale without the licence is an offence under the Act.
So, since there is a law which specify a licence as a pre-requisite to sell samsu, but why there are so many rampant problem of ill comsumption of samsu? Well, the popular demand of samsu has spawned many illegal outlets selling it.
In the past, the Consumer Associaton of Penang has made several reports to the custom and Excise Department about the illegal sale of samsu. However, till today, the illegal sale of samsu still prevails and is even more rampant. Government must realise the bad effects which can be brought about from samsu- drinking habit which includes social problems like domestic violence, child abuse, suicides etc. After realising this problem, government should take a stern action to ban the sale of this cheap intoxicating liquor to protect Malaysian families from this scourge.
