The Second Biennial Substance Abuse Summit which started on Tuesday, 15 March 2011, ended today after extensive discussions by various stakeholders on the subject matter,
The summit was attended by more than 600 delegates from government, faith-based organisations, community-based organisations, non-governmental organisations, traditional leaders, liquor industry as well as community policing forums, among others.
Different political parties as well as organised labour also participated in the summit and offered their support to help advance all efforts towards combating the scourge of alcohol and substance abuse that is ravaging our communities.
To this end, the summit took into account the threat of alcohol and substance abuse poses to the achievement of the 12 key priority outcomes in the national government programme of action.
This includes the negative impact of alcohol and substance abuse on criminal justice, education, health and social services.
Delegates also took cognizance of the need to restrict access to alcohol through regulation of sales and marketing, taxation and restrictions on the legal age of purchase – despite alcohol, like tobacco, being a legal substance.
The summit also explored the inter-relationship between alcohol and other substance abuse with prevailing conditions such as poverty, unemployment, poor educational outcomes, lack of skills development and slow economic growth.
Recognising the dangers of alcohol and substance abuse on aspects of the South African society, Second Biennial Substance Abuse Summit committed to implementation of the following resolutions:
- Harmonisation of existing laws and policies to facilitate effective governance of alcohol, including production, sales, distribution, marketing, consumption and taxation. The regulatory framework must be national and applicable across all provinces and municipalities and should be guided by the principles and proposals agreed to by this summit and the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Alcohol and Substance Abuse.
- A review of the structure and mandate of the CDA to allow for proper co-ordination by government structures and oversight by an independent body;
- 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 national, that is they must be applicable in all provinces.
- Implementing laws and regulations that will reduce the number of liquor outlets, including shebeens, taverns and liquor stores in specific geographical areas. These laws and regulations should include stricter licensing laws and qualifying criteria and specific zoning laws and regulations that will prescribe the locations of different types of economic activity that can take place in residential areas. The zoning laws should for example, ensure that no liquor outlets are located near schools, libraries and places of worship.
- Regulation and control of home brews and concoctions informed by research that includes traditional utilisation in rural areas.
- Raising of duties and taxes on alcohol products to deter the purchasing of alcohol. The tariffs should be implemented on a sliding scale commensurate with the alcoholic content.
- Imposing health and safety requirements for premises where liquor will be consumed including avoiding overcrowding, providing adequate lighting, food and water, and taking into account access to public transport and toilet facilities.
- Prescribing measures for alcohol containers such as the form of container, warning labels and the percentage alcohol content.
- Increasing the criminal and administrative liability of individuals and institutions (bars, clubs, taverns, shebeens and restaurants) that sell liquor when they sell alcohol to underage drinkers, intoxicated patrons and patrons whom they know are to operate motor vehicles.
- Imposing a mandatory contribution by the liquor industry to an Independent Fund that will distribute the resources to entities that work to prevent and treat alcohol abuse.
- Intensifying campaigns that seek to inform (and/or educate) people, in particular young people, about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse.
- Ensuring equal access to resources, especially for civil society and organisations from rural areas.
- Setting up a cross-departmental operational unit in government that will take responsibility for the implementation of measures to stem the drug problem across its entire value chain. The unit will inter alia analyse drug production and trafficking trends, drug use patterns, develop and enforce policies and laws that will improve investigations, arrests, prosecutions and improve the legal framework with regards to confiscation of assets acquired through the proceeds of crime.
- Ensuring that the criminal justice system becomes an effective deterrent for offenders through harsher punishment of drug related offences, including the seizure of assets.
- The speedy finalisation and implementation of legislation pertaining to the trafficking in persons.
- Assessment of the threat relating to the smuggling of migrants and an appropriate legislative response.
- Consideration of Extraterritorial jurisdiction relating to South African interests for drug trafficking to allow for effective interdiction of shipments (air or sea) of drugs.
- Allowing for the obtainment of a preservation order in terms of Prevention of Organised Crime Act to permit police officers to seize proceeds of crime temporarily.
- A review of the International Assistance in Criminal Matters Act to define the respective roles of the South African Police Service, the National Prosecuting Authority and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.
- Immediate implementation of current laws and regulations that permit the restriction of the time, location and content of advertising related to alcohol and in the medium term banning of all advertising of alcoholic products in public and private media, including electronic media. The short term intervention will include measures that will ensure that alcohol will not be marketed at times and locations where young people may be influenced and the content of the advertising should not portray alcohol as a product associated with sport, and social and economic status.
- Banning on all sponsorship by the alcohol industry for sports, recreation, arts and cultural and related events.
- Implementation of a continuum of care and a public health approach that provides for prevention, early detection, treatment, rehabilitation and after care services.
- Implementation of comprehensive prevention programmes including both universal and targeted approaches. All young people need life skills and this should be taught in all schools. In addition in high risk areas this should be supplemented by more targeted approaches.
- Strengthening of after care services – including for young people (learners).
- Utilisation of multiple approaches to prevention across different disciplines and structures targeting for example families and schools. Programmes like youth development and sport development can be used as channels.
- Public advocacy and messaging which advocates for a substance abuse free SA.
- Development and implementation of multi disciplinary and multi modal protocols and practices for the integrated diagnosis, treatment and funding of co-occurring disorders for both adults and children.
- Development of an acceptable definition and protocols for Harm Reduction in the South African context.
- Increasing the provision of rehabilitation and after care and ensuring that all communities have access to these services.
- Improving education about the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol.
- Reducing the current legal alcohol limit for drivers to further discourage the consumption of alcohol of people operating motor vehicles.
- Disallowing novice drivers (0-3 years after obtaining a driving licence) from consuming any alcohol before driving. This means that the legally permitted legal alcohol limit for drivers will not be applicable to novice drivers.
- Adopting policy to prevent and address substance abuse in the public service.
- Setting an example to the public by ensuring that all public service functions are alcohol free.
Various stakeholders who attended the summit signed a declaration committing themselves to ensure that the resolutions of the summit are implemented.
Government representatives who signed the declaration are the Ministers of Social Development, Correctional Services, Home Affairs, representatives from the South African Police Service as well as MECs responsible for Social Development in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal.
The Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, will next week brief members of the media about the outcomes of the summit and what they mean for the country.
Enquiries:
Abram Phahlamohlaka
Cell: 082 928 6590
Thapelo Sakoana
Cell: 078 453 6750
