‘Put people before profit’- Liquor traders body doesn’t want New Year’s Eve drinking disasters

The National Liquor Traders (NTL) has encouraged its members to commit to their licensing conditions and trade responsibly over the last days of the year.

Drink and driving

The organisation’s Lucky Ntimane said their members should discourage patrons from buying alcohol if they were planning to drink and drive.

“As we start a weekend which will usher in the New Year, the National Liquor Traders (NLT) recognises the important role that liquor traders ought to play in supporting the government’s efforts of ensuring a safer festive season where incidents linked to alcohol abuse are reduced to a bare minimum. These include, but are not limited to, road fatalities as a result of drinking and driving,” Ntimane said.

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Ntimane described alcohol as a “social lubricant” that should be sold responsibly.

He advised those planning to visit bars and clubs to not drive but rather use e-hailing services.

“It is also important for our traders to put the lives of our people first before the need to make a profit in this period, given the scourge of alcohol abuse in our country, which has claimed a significant number of lives in this festive season due to drinking and driving,” Ntimane said.

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Underage drinking

 Ntimane said traders should ask those who seem underage to enter bars or nightclubs to show their IDs.

“Those that are suspected to be under the age of 18 are compelled to produce an identification card to confirm their eligibility to purchase alcohol,” he said.

GBV

As SA deals with a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and femicide crisis, the body said liquor traders should provide a safe environment for partygoers to enjoy their liquor.

“We will continue to work with government agencies, civil society, and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that this festive season becomes one in which we can all be merry and not have to bury our loved ones due to alcohol abuse and its associated harm.”

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