‘Raise legal drinking age and increase booze prices’ says Prof Glenda Gray
Dr Glenda Gray says the violence against women and children is a dire situation and that we need to protect them from alcohol-associated harm.
Professor Glenda Gray Picture: Gallo Images/Foto24/Bongiwe Gumede
President of the South African Media Research Council (SAMRC) Professor Glenda Gray suggests that government raise the legal age at which you can have your first drink, as well as hike up the price of booze, among a wide range of solutions that can help prevent alcohol abuse.
In a statement, Gray referred to President Cyril Ramaphosa speech on Wednesday where he said the government was looking at “drastic measures” to curb the abuse of alcohol.
Since the unbanning of alcohol sales, Police Minister Bheki Cele said that crime had increased since the start of Level 3 lockdown.
Professor Gray called on the government to implement the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations on tackling excessive drinking and alcohol abuse that has been effective in some countries.
These include banning advertisements of booze, increase the pricing of alcohol both through excise taxes, introducing a minimum price per unit of pure alcohol in liquor products, and reduce the legal limit for drinking to o.oo2% or lower.
Gray said the violence against women and children was a dire situation and that we need to protect them from alcohol-associated harm.
Dr David Harrison, CEO of DG Murray Trust agreed: “It is now time to put the rights of women and children first – those who are or will become victims of harmful use of alcohol, and there is global evidence of what needs to be done now.”
Gray also recommended that raising the legal drinking age to 19 and the enforcement of public drinking by-laws.
“Furthermore, we need to ensure that product tracking and tracing is in place to close the supply
routes to illegal vendors. These provisions are included in the Draft Liquor Amendment Bill,” she said.
They have called on the government to proceed with the implementation of this bill and bills aimed at reducing alcohol abuse such as the Control of Marketing of Alcoholic Beverages Bill.
(Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele)
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