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Well, tonight we bring you part 2 where we delve into the element of liquor licensing laws, enforcement and how the various options of establishments that sell liquor contribute and encourage alcoholism. For some, you can walk to the nearest bar or nightclub, for others, it might be just be a 10 to 15 minute drive to a spot that sells liquor but there certainly isn't a shortage. Courtney Weatherburne has the story.

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
The war on drugs is mostly a losing battle for law enforcement in Belize and all over the world. That's because of the high demand for drugs and the flourishing supply and availability. But while law enforcement in Belize focusses most of its efforts on getting those narcotics off the streets, the legal drug, alcohol is wreaking havoc on its own, it is the most accepted drug but one of the most harmful and addictive next to heroin and cocaine.

As seen in part 1 of this alcoholism feature, it has ruined and taken many lives.

But the Director of National Drug Abuse Control Council Esner Vellos says he and his team have been working on drafting the national alcohol policy, which if passed, will have significant impacts on the laws regarding alcohol consumption.

Esner Vellos, Director, National Drug Abuse Control Council, Ministry of Health
"Since 2011 we have been doing annual reports that give us a very clear indication of what is the trend of consumption of specifically of alcohol in Belize. As a matter of fact, our annual reports have shown that of the approximately 300 clients we get on an annual basis, the majority of these clients are consumers of alcohol whose ages will range between 16 years to adult age 40, 45 even to 60 years of age because we have to look at the issue of alcohol that it affects everyone."

"So based on statistics we make recommendations to define the government's policy when it comes to substance abuse specifically when it comes to issues related to the consumption of alcohol and the abuse of the consumption of alcohol is that we have recommend to the Ministry of Health, the national alcohol policy and the national alcohol bill both documents go hand in hand so that we will be able to increase the consumption of alcohol from 18 to 21."

"We are also looking at ways how to increase taxation so we can decrease the accessibility of alcohol products to the Belizeans people."

"It also looks at revising and making recommendations to the revision of the liquor licensing act, more than a revision, we are looking at how it can be improved in terms of the implementation."

And that implementation or enforcement is what has been lacking over the years. There is a liquor licensing board in every district and there are about 5 members on each board. Those include a member of the fire department, public health department and police. But there seems to have been a breakdown in communication among board members or serious oversight, because countless bars, nightclubs and other establishments that have a liquor license do not have the basic requirements outlined in the intoxicating liquor licensing act such as: the premises should not be near a school, church, hospital, it should be sound proof, it should not be a nuisance to the neighborhood, it should have proper bathroom facilities, it should have an entry and exit way, the establishment owner should not tolerate drunkenness or disorderly behavior among many other conditions and regulations. Chairman of the Belize District Liquor Licensing Board, which was sworn in in January, is not taking the blame but committed to addressing these issues.

Adrian Danny Madrid, Liquor Licensing Board Chairman, Belize District
"That is the situation we inherited."

"And yes there is a lot of problems and bars that don't have the standard qualification and that is one of the things that we as members we will start visiting personally the places along with health, the police and the fire department so that we can look at the areas and we can come up with solutions because my thing is everybody has to make a living so it is not that we will go close down a place but we have work and speak with them and tell them look if you want to conduct business we do not want to stop you from conducting business but we want you to do the right thing if you don't we have to do our job."

Courtney Weatherburne
"Can you say how many licensed bars are in the Belize District?"

Adrian Danny Madrid
"It is over 600."

Courtney Weatherburne
"But when you say 600, that includes."

Adrian Danny Madrid
"Hotels, restaurants public and special all liquor licenses holders."

Courtney Weatherburne
"Does that figure alarm you ? Do we really need 600, over 600?"

Adrian Danny Madrid
"It sounds alarming but everybody has the right to sell."

Courtney Weatherburne
"Is there a limit to how many different types of license you can issue as a licensing board, like it is up to your discretion to say I am sorry we have reached our quota in terms of bars in this location, we can't grant you a license in this location there are just too many bars and nightclubs."

Adrian Danny Madrid
"Yes, we are looking to that, it does not limit you but we are aware of it and I don't think we want to open anymore club license and bar license, we don't want to."

Courtney Weatherburne
"It won't be business as usual like previous boards, how are you guys going to handle going forward, now that you know and acknowledge that there are many bars out there, you are focusing on the Belize district, specifically in the Belize District that don't meet those requirements, how are you now going to change things up in terms of enforcement, monitoring and inspecting these places going forward what is your assurance you will do that now?"

Adrian Danny Madrid
"Like I said we are visiting the areas now, and what we are doing is we are trying our best with what we have to use the Belize city council special constable to assist us because as we speak we do not have that cooperation with the other authorities as yet so we have to sit with them and work with them."

Well Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has also made a commitment to work along with the liquor licensing board to enforce the law. He has already sprung into action and a couple weeks ago sent a directive to all formations to crack down on alcohol related offenses and liquor license violations.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"And what we are trying to see to do is to see how we can work along with respective liquor licensing board to ensure that we streamline the way how these license are issues and to ensure that license are not issued to establishments that do not meet the legal requirements and while yes the liquor licensing board is the licensing authority in terms of issuance of these license we are saying to them that we are the enforcers of the law and in cases where the law is clear as to what the requirements are and we see that the license are issued against the requirements then as the enforcers of the law we are going to step in and close down these establishments and so it is important that there is that collaboration between us and the liquor licensing board."

Courtney Weatherburne:
"How does it work in terms of enforcement on the ground?"

Chester Williams
"In Belize city we have the ACT operation with the ACT operation we have police officers strategically deployed across the city and these patrols are assigned their respective area of concentration and so what we normally do, we tell the patrols to ensure that the establishments within their respective area of concentration complies with the requirements of the law and we tell them what those requirements are."

It is certainly not going to be an easy task because binge drinking is such a pervasive practice in Belize. Alcohol surrounds us, in advertising, supermarkets, and social events, it's everywhere and at price points designed to match every budget.

But it is up to personal choices and impulse control, and also the effectiveness of law enforcement to try and address the pervasive culture of alcohol abuse.

Yesterday when we spoke to Esner Vellos from NDACC he said he and his team are still working on the national alcoholism policy. Vellos says it has to be presented to the Minister of Health and then taken to cabinet.

In terms of the police and liquor licensing board collaboration: they still have not met as yet but plan to do so soon. We will keep following up on this.