FEATURE

South Africa Has a High Rate of ALCOHOL ABUSE

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the annual liquor consumption by South Africans amounts to 7.81 litres of pure alcohol per person — boosting our country into the 52nd spot on a list of 191 countries. The statistics also show that the rate of drunk driving in South Africa is also extremely high when compared to the global average. In fact, South Africa has the highest rate of road fatalities in the world and according to the Department of Transport about 40 people die every day in road crashes — some incidents being attributed to alcohol. This harsh reality, and the death of her son who was killed by a drunk driver, prompted psychiatric social worker Caro Smit to start an organisation. South Africans Against Drunk Driving is dedicated to increasing public awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving and alcohol abuse. “SA drinkers are amongst the largest consumers of alcohol in the world. We also drink in hazardous ways such as, drinking for long periods of time on empty stomachs,” said Smit. SADD is pushing for the automatic removal of licenses of convicted drunken drivers or if they drive, they should have alcohol ignition interlocks fitted in their vehicles which is a device that is installed in a vehicle and measures your breath alcohol content, and if over a certain

RESPONSIBLE DRINKING GUIDELINES – COURTESY OF THE ARA Drink Spiking

Drink spiking is not necessarily placing illicit drugs into a drink. It may well be ordering drinks for people with extra shots of alcohol. This has direct implications in the responsible serving of alcohol. There is increasing concern about the dangers of drink spiking on licensed premises. Staff can help by: • Getting any affected person to a safe, quiet place and staying with them. • Call an ambulance if the person becomes unconscious. • Ensure that the person who is assisting the affected person home is indeed a friend.

amount the car will not start. She also called for automatic alcohol testing at every accident scene. “People drink and drive because they can get away with it. Behaviour changes when people are afraid of the financial and legal implications of their actions.” She says SADD pushes for more enforcement through road-blocks and stiffer sentences for those found transgressing the law. “We want special drink and driving courts so that suspects can be prosecuted within a week of a crash. And we want convicted drunk drivers to get alcohol education and treatment.” Smit welcomed the Gauteng draft Liquor Bill, but says it would be a good idea to educate women about the effects of alcohol during pregnancy so as to reduce the high rate of foetal alcohol syndrome in the country. She also suggests that the drinking age should be raised from 18 to 21. However, she acknowledges that if enacted, the draft would be “hard” to regulate because police are already being overworked and aren’t able to actively monitor taverns because they don’t have enough staff. The Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA) says the best way to deal with the problems related to alcohol abuse and misuse is to have a mixture of industry self-regulation, enforcement of existing laws, awareness creation, targeted interventions and people taking personal responsibility for their choices. Public Affairs Consultant for the ARA, Adrian Botha, says alcohol abuse is a multi-faceted problem for which there is no one simple solution. He says the ARA supports the prohibitions contained in the Gauteng draft Liquor Bill, in particular those relating to not serving alcohol to minors and intoxicated persons. “Whilst we support the sentiment in regard to prohibiting pregnant women from purchasing alcohol beverages, we believe this is not practical as, at the early stages, it is impossible to tell when a woman is pregnant and it appears unfair to prevent a woman from purchasing a bottle of wine for her spouse and friends for example,” says Botha. Chris Hajibey, owner of Bara Liquor Wholesaler in Soweto, says the problem of alcoholism is more about lack of education, which needs to be tackled at

THE FOLLOWING PRACTICES CAN ACT AS A USEFUL GUIDE TO MANAGERS OF LICENSED TAVERNS

• Discourage intoxication. • Promote non-alcoholic beverages and food. • Promote safe transport alternatives. • Market responsible serving practices. • Train staff. • Maintain adequate staff numbers. • Written policies and procedures for staff that are enforced. • Slowing service. • Suggesting food or low alcohol alternatives. • Warning the customer. Offer to call a taxi. • Suggest customers try low or non-alcoholic drinks.

school level. He believes that if children can be taught about the dangers of alcohol abuse from an early age, alcoholism wouldn’t be a problem for them when they’re adults. Commenting on the Gauteng draft Liquor Bill, Hajibey shares the same sentiments as Botha, saying it would be unfair to stop pregnant women from buying alcohol because they might be buying for someone else. He further agrees that at times it is difficult to tell if someone is pregnant. Meanwhile South African Breweries (SAB) has launched a programme to tackle the scourge of underage drinking. According to SAB director of Corporate Affairs and Transformation, Dr Vincent Maphai, one out of every two teenagers is a user of alcohol. “Underage drinking is one of the most serious forms of alcohol abuse and has an overwhelmingly negative impact on South African society as a whole. We view this as unacceptable and so we have partnered with government on a programme that we believe will effect real change amongst South Africa’s youth.” This programme is called “The You Decide Campaign” and includes curriculum aligned lesson plans for teachers; a practical guide for parents’ and resources for teens including counselling and reading material.