Programme Director,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Representatives from Civil Society,
The community of Khayelitsha,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you very much for joining us today. The festive season has come to our shores. This hectic period affords many people an opportunity to spend time with their loved ones, especially family and friends. It is usually a time filled with joy which we all want to enjoy in the best way possible.
Each year, there are incidents that occur which turn what is supposed to be a season of happiness into one of sadness and pain for some people. The manner in which alcohol and drug use has become synonymous with having fun is a course for concern.
It is for this reason that today we are here to launch government s Anti-Alcohol and Substance Abuse under the theme: Towards an Alcohol and Drug Abuse Free South Africa - Take a Stand. The phenomenon of alcohol and substance abuse has dire implications to the millions of South Africans as it contributes towards many ills such as crime, gangsterism, domestic violence and other forms of social problems. We therefore believe that the magnitude of this problem requires collective national action across all spheres to deal with. This sense of unity must be characterised by a coordinated and an integrated approach that drives us towards a drug-free society.
We must work together for a better quality of life for all. This means that we must never allow alcohol and substance abuse as well as illicit drug trafficking to threaten the stability of our country.
At the 2nd Biennial Anti-Substance Abuse Summit in March this year, different sectors of society engaged in extensive and fruitful discussions in a bid to tackle the problem of alcohol and substance abuse. These deliberations focused on policy and legislation, supply reduction, demand reduction, harm reduction and the role of civil society.
Some of the resolutions emanating from this summit include the following:
- Harmonisation of all laws and policies to facilitate effective governance of alcohol, including production, sales, distribution, marketing, consumption and taxation.
- Reducing accessibility of alcohol through raising the legal age for the purchasing and public consumption of alcohol from the age of 18 to the age 21.
- Imposing restrictions on the time and days of the week that alcohol can be legally sold. These restrictions must be uniform, that is, they must be applicable in all provinces.
- Increasing the criminal and administrative liability of individuals and institutions (bars, clubs, taverns, shebeens and restaurants) that sell liquor to underage drinkers, intoxicated patrons and patrons whom they know are to operate motor vehicles.
- Prescribing measures for alcohol containers such as the form of container, warning labels and the percentage alcohol content.
- Imposing a mandatory contribution by the liquor industry to a fund that will be dedicated to work to prevent and treat alcohol abuse.
Banning all sponsorship by the alcohol industry for sports, recreation, arts and cultural and related events, and
Setting an example to the public by ensuring that all public service functions are alcohol free
Ladies and gentlemen, I must highlight that this is just a few of the resolutions and the rest of them can be accessed on our website: http://www.dsd.gov.za/
We
have noted the reaction from different quarters as well as messages of support from many civil society organisations and members of the public for the approach we seek to take in the fight against alcohol and substance abuse.Just two weeks ago, we were with the community of Strydenburg in the Northern Cape, where we visited a few households before interacting with the broader community. The first house we visited proved clearly the extent of the alcohol problem in some families. Our visit was in the morning and the elders in that family were already drunk. It is worrying because this seemed to be a daily habit in that family, which largely depends on social grants for income yet there were no food in the household. The possibility is that they may use some of the social grants income to buy alcohol. It is incidents like these which propel us to heighten the fight especially against alcohol abuse.
According to Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health (2011) the impact of alcohol consumption reaches deep in society. Drinking can impair how a person performs as a parent, as well as how he /she contributes to the functioning of the household. Children can suffer Foetal Alcohol Spectrum disorder, when mothers drink during pregnancy. After birth prenatal drinking can lead to child abuse and numerous impacts on the child s social, psychological and economic environment. The impact of drinking on family life can include mental health problems for other family members such as anxiety, fear and depression. The report further highlights that intoxication interferes with labour production.
The drinker s own productivity is reduced, and there may be adverse consequences including loss of employment. The productivity of others around the drinker may diminish if they have to take time out of their work to cover for the drinker s mistakes, absences and lateness.
Alcohol is not just another consumer product, but one that impacts negatively on the health of those who consume it and places an enormous strain on the health system.
As bad as the link between alcohol and ill-health may be, the relationship between alcohol and social disorder may be worse. The South African Health Information network, using research done by the Medical Research Council, indicates that alcohol intoxication is associated with morbidities arising from intentional and non-intentional injuries, with increased risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, and that it impacts negatively on the criminal justice system as the evidence indicates a significant association between drinking and committing a crime or being a victim of a crime.
Mortuary statistics for 2002 indicate that alcohol played a role on average of up to 46% of transport related deaths and homicides. The picture was more alarming in the metro areas where for example, in Port Elizabeth alone, alcohol accounted for 63% of transport related deaths and 69% for homicides.
In addition, research conducted by the Crime Research and Statistics component of Crime Intelligence - over the past decade has confirmed that approximately 70% to 80% of murders, 60% of attempted murders, 75% of rapes and 90% of all assaults (whether Grievous Bodily Harm , common or indecent assault) involve victims and perpetrators who know one another.
The analysis indicates that alcohol, and to a lesser extent other drug abuse, frequently played a role in these crimes. This is why the five crimes in question are referred to as social contact crimes. The latest research indicates that roughly 65% of murders are associated with social behaviour much of which are fuelled by alcohol abuse.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have now developed a five-year programme of action based on the outcomes of the summit, which advocates for the utilization of multiple approaches to prevention across different disciplines.
The aims of the programme of action are as follows:
- To develop policy, review and align liquor legislation,
- To educate and create awareness on substance abuse,
- To promote equal access to resources across South Africa,
- To respond to policies and legislation with regards to drugs and organised crime,
- To review institutional mechanisms to prevent and manage alcohol and drug use in the country.
We are convinced that evidence related to the negative impact of alcohol on the health of our people and the social fabric compels us to be robust in reducing the harm caused by alcohol.
Fortina and Repel (2005) found that a high level of exposure to alcohol advertising especially amongst the youth has been linked to increased consumption.
This means we have to implement measures that will reduce exposure of young people and the general population to advertising that falsely portray carefully packaged ethanol as a product that is associated with being cool and successful.
We have to ensure that we raise the price of alcohol so that we make its accessibility more difficult. We have to ensure that we regulate the number of licensed outlets able to sell alcohol so that we limit access. We have to put in place measures that will raise legal age for purchasing alcohol so that we can protect our youth and become very strict with regard to drink driving. These strategies are regarded as common sense and serve as guidelines for good policy by the World Health Organisation.
As I conclude, we would like to remind all citizens that we all have a responsibility to create a drug free society. It is possible to have fun without alcohol. We call on parents to be good role-models to children and never to expose their children to alcohol and substance abuse. Members of the public must not drink and drive, we also say NO to drinking and walking!
Lastly, we wish to remind all liquor outlets including taverns and shebeens to comply with the laws governing their operation. They must not sell liquor to under-age children and pregnant women. The police will be out to clamp down on lawlessness.
It is my pleasure to officially launch government's Anti-Alcohol and Substance Abuse Campaign.
Thank you.
