Officials from the Department of Trade and Industry’s (the dti) National Liquor Authority and the KwaZulu-Natal Liquor Board will have an alcohol awareness campaign at the Bridge City Mall at KwaMashu. The purpose of the campaign is to educate consumers, members of the public and liquor traders about the adverse effects of alcohol abuse, compliance with liquor laws and community participation and vigilance. Members of the media are invited to cover the event.
According to the Acting Director-General of the dti, Ms Jodi Scholtz, the campaign should not have come a more opportune time as the festive season is notorious for excessive and irresponsible liquor consumption, as well as violation for the country’s liquor laws by traders.
“It is important to repeatedly impress upon consumers that alcohol abuse is not only dangerous to their own health, but it also costs the country millions of rands and leads to unnecessary loss of lives. The message that is being disseminated to members of the public through the campaign is that every community member needs to play a role and report cases of illegal liquor trading or violation of both the provincial and national liquor laws by traders. The campaign is also targeted at traders who are encouraged to comply with the country’s liquor laws,” added Scholtz.
The campaign which kicked off in Limpopo two weeks ago has made successful pit stops in popular shopping malls in Kimberley (Northern Cape), Schweizer-Reneke (North West) and Gugulethu (Western Cape).
The campaign is part of the dti’s strategy of combating alcohol abuse in relation to enforcement of compliance to licensing conditions. The licensing conditions include not to sell alcohol to minors, visibly pregnant women, and to comply with relevant by-laws of the country.
Details are as follows:
Date: Thursday, 22 December 2011
Time: 12h00
Venue: City Mall in Kwa-Mashu, outside Durban.
For interview requests:
Bongani Lukhele
Cell: 074 299 8512
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe (Departmental Spokesperson)
Cell: 079 492 1774
Tel: 012 394 1650
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
