Helderberg
Year 18 • Tuesday 2 September 2014 | Tel. 021 853 0211
www.bolandgazette.co.za bolandgazette.mobi
Read in this week’s
DistrictMail
Truworths SW becomes 30th H’berg business to be targeted by armed robbers ) Rowers teiken Gordonsbaaihuise ) Weekend rugby match reports
)
Sir Lowry’s Pass opgetooi
Youth want legal drinking age lowered CASSY VAN EEDEN
A recent survey revealed that about 50% of South Africans believe that the current legal drinking age of 18 should be lowered and that it is appropriate for people under the age of 18 to drink alcoholic beverages. Consumer insights company Pondering Panda surveyed 4 657 South Africans between the ages of 15 and 34 years and found that 43% of 15 to 17-year-olds felt that the legal drinking age should be lowered. Gerard Thomas of the Help Me Network in Somerset West said underage drinking is definitely a problem in the Helderberg. “There’s a lot of drinking in our schools - even at our primary schools.” Half of the young people who participated in the survey feel that underage drinking is a problem. The Help Me Network sees about 45 cases a year of underage drinking. However, Thomas said that in most of these cases the clients have been “sent here by the court. There’s many children out there still drinking who won’t come here out of their own will.” Thomas said the youngest underage client that they have had was 10.
2 Leerders betoon laaste eer 3 Cellar2Cellar trail run
Sarah Fisher, executive director of the drug treatment centre Helderberg Cares, said lowering the legal drinking age would be detrimental to the youth of Helderberg. “Young people often binge drink and binge drinking leads to risky situations.” Debbie Bell,, also from the Help Me Network, says binge drinking is the consumption of large amounts of alcohol in a short amount of time. She says girls are only fully developed at the age of 21 and boys only at 23. Bell said that underage drinking “influences their mental development, so they can’t make mature decisions at that age.” She says the youth do not know “how to drink sensibly or responsibly,” which is why she says lowering the legal drinking age would “not be a good plan.” Thomas said some of the reasons for underage drinking in the Helderberg are “poverty, family issues and families that are dysfunctional due to alcohol. Alcohol is also socially acceptable.” The survey also revealed that alcohol and drugs are believed to be the second biggest problem in South African schools after a lack of resources and facilities. Fisher said underage drinking can lead to concentration problems at school. Thomas said binge drinking needs to be made less socially attractive to teenagers.
Haweloses maak skoon
Chester Williams, Johannes Hartzenberg en Vernon Gertze was deel van die groep hawelose mense wat Sondag die Somerset-Wes-area skoongemaak het. Die skoonmaak-projek is deur Andy Loughton van die Local Network of Care geïnisieer met die doel om die sentrale besigheidskern op te knap en 1 000 sakke vullis te kollekteer. FOTO: DELIAH BRINKHUIS
8