Misdirected statistics and smoke screens – How the alcohol industry evades the truth and overstates its contributions to protect its profits
A recently released five-page ‘report”, funded by and on behalf of the alcohol industry, purports to reveal new data that counters current analyses that the bans on the sale of alcohol have led to a decrease in trauma cases in South African hospitals. Many news outlets have parroted the media releases from the South African […]
Call for responsible drinking masks the big lie
It is time to challenge the liquor industry’s claim that ‘responsible drinking’ is the answer to South Africa’s alcohol problem. That assumes that the problem lies only with individuals who won’t control their drink, rather than an industry whose profits depend on excessive consumption. It is a stark reality that over 80% of all alcohol […]
Public appeal to Government: Urgent measures to curb the abuse of alcohol linked to gender-based violence
View an update at the bottom of the page. The Covid-19 epidemic has shone a light again on the value of each human life, and the message from our leaders is that lives must be saved through urgent and radical action. In his speech to the nation on Wednesday 17 June 2020, President Ramaphosa stated […]
Five urgent and effective measures to curb the abuse of alcohol
In his speech to the nation on Wednesday 17 June 2020, President Ramaphosa stated that, “we will also need to look at further, more drastic measures to curb the abuse of alcohol”. We now call on the government to draw on the best international evidence, follow the advice of the World Health Organisation and implement […]
Mythbusting the alcohol ‘mythbuster’
Last Friday, the Business Report (BR) gave space to the South African Breweries (SAB) to stake its claims regarding the banning of alcohol during lockdown (5 myths about the alcohol ban in South Africa, 24 May). That is BR’s prerogative and SAB’s right. The language was however remarkably intemperate for an opinion piece (five times […]
Time to consider the introduction of a minimum unit price on alcohol
In May 2018 Scotland introduced a minimum unit price of 50 pence per unit (8 grams) of alcohol, with the aim of reducing abusive drinking.[1] Research had shown that a large proportion of very cheap alcohol consumed in Scotland took the form of heavy-drinking, resulting in drunkenness and other socially unacceptable behaviour.[2] South Africa’s situation […]
Time to revisit alcohol taxation in South Africa
It’s no cause for pride that South Africa nearly tops the charts as a nation of drinkers. This ranking is according to the 2018 Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health published by the World Health Organization (WHO).[1] While only a third (31%) of adults report consuming alcohol in the past year, those who do […]
