Guo (Upper West) - The sale and drinking of 'akpeteshie,' a locally brewed gin, at funerals has been banned at Guo, a farming community in the Lawra district.

The decision was taken by the chief of the village, Naa S. Gyiele in consultation with the assemblyman of the area and elders to help check the high spate of drunkenness and petty quarrels at funerals.

He said the intake of 'akpeteshie' has "lowered the image of tradition and culture in the area to the extent that praise singers under the influence of the drink, now resort to social insults instead of dirges that console.

"The sale of akpeteshie has gained an alarming proportion as most people now sell and drink the stuff directly before corpses.

"We cannot sit down and see tradition and culture being abused and insulted this way", the chief said.

He said it was the intention of the village authorities to impose a ban on the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks in the community because of the devastating effects on the people.

Naa Gyiele said a lot of people in the area have died of alcohol-related diseases and appealed to religious bodies, non-governmental organisations and benevolent societies to assist the district assembly to educate people against the intake of alcohol.