South African advocacy groups ramp up campaign for stricter alcohol laws

The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (Saapa) recently voiced their support for the bill at the 7th Biennial Global Alcohol Policy Conference held in Cape Town.

‘We are calling for a number of alcohol harm reduction interventions, which include raising the legal drinking age to 21. This would mean a comprehensive approach will be in place to reduce alcohol harm,’ said Fortein.

The alliance is pushing for the government to pass the Liquor Amendment Bill of 2017, advocating for a holistic approach to tackle the challenges posed by alcohol consumption. This approach includes restrictions on alcohol advertising, with allowances only at the point of sale, reduced trading hours, fewer outlets and stronger enforcement of existing laws.

Alcohol producers have strongly opposed the proposed amendments, prompting Saapa to position itself as a champion for public health, prioritising community well-being over profit. Despite being underresourced in comparison to the well-funded alcohol industry, Saapa remains determined, inviting public support through donations to strengthen its cause.

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Fortein emphasised the importance of the bill, citing the prevalence of teen and underage drinking and the inability of 18-year-olds to make sound decisions due to their ongoing development.

‘We are classified as one of the heaviest drinking nations in the world. Our gender-based violence is very high. Assaults from stabbing are very high. There is a huge toll on our healthcare workers, hospitals and the public. SA has one of the highest alcohol per capita drinking rates in the world. Given the relatively larger child populations in our country, removing the child population from the ratio measures would show much higher rates for our country. 59.4% of our population are abstainers, so that means those who do drink excessively and in a manner that is harmful.’

Fortein expressed optimism about the bill’s eventual passage and underscored the urgency of implementing harm reduction measures. She drew attention to the tragic Enyobeni Tavern incident where 21 people lost their lives, stating that similar occurrences could be prevented with immediate action.

South Africans Against Drink Driving (SADD), another advocacy group, has joined the call for increasing the legal drinking age.

Caro Smit, the organisation’s founder and director, highlighted the vulnerability of the developing brain to alcohol and pointed out the increased risk of fatal crashes among new drivers. Drawing parallels with the United States, where the drinking age was permanently set at 21 following a trial period, Smit underscored the need for stringent alcohol measures in South Africa.

‘In the US, the drinking age was changed to 21 by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) for this reason. The public was not pleased. It was then agreed upon to bring back the legal drinking age to 18, monitor it for a year, and see what happens. The death rates of the 18- to 21-year-olds were so high, the drinking age was then permanently changed to 21.’

‘To reduce alcohol harm, we also need to follow the World Health Organisation’s best practises, which include stopping all alcohol advertising, including on social media, shortening the drinking hours (stop serving alcohol at 12), increasing the price of alcohol and applying MUP (minimum unit pricing). This means that the stronger the alcohol, the more units in the drink, and the more expensive the drink must be (so spirits must become much more expensive). Finally, we need to raise the drinking age to 21,’ concluded Smit.

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