Institute for Security Studies calls for strict alcohol regulations to tackle violent crime

The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) has called for targeted strategies, including stringent alcohol regulation, to tackle the scourge of violent crime, and suggested professional help for those arrested for being violent when drunk.

According to a study published in the BMC Medicine journal in 2018, about 62,300 adults died from alcohol-attributable causes of death in South Africa in 2015.

The SA Medical Journal’s 2009 projections show alcohol-related harms cost the economy R263-billion annually.

Gareth Newham, ISS head of governance, crime and justice division, said crime and alcohol were linked internationally but alcohol was not the only factor.

“People are not necessarily violent when they are drunk. If they are violent they will still act violent even when they are not drunk…so it is a contributing factor. You cannot just stop alcohol and have no violent crime. Though it plays a role, it is not the only factor.”

Newham said data showed violent crimes occurred on Friday and Saturday nights in certain policing precincts and that called a targeted approach.

“There are various interventions and ways to address this and we have a long way to go…It is about greater regulation of alcohol, so it is about regulating those places, at those times. It is about adjusting strategies and ensuring those people arrested for violent behaviour when they are drunk, get the help they need,” Newham said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted that violent crime – especially murders and attempted murders – had increased since this month’s Level 3 when the liquor ban was lifted.

The president said there was a need examine the effect of alcohol abuse not only on levels of violence, but also on road accidents and reckless behaviour, saying studies show clear links between alcohol abuse and gender-based violence.

“If alcohol intoxication is contributing to these crimes, it must be addressed with urgency,” Ramaphosa said.

The estimated economic loss of R6.4 billion in alcohol excise tax and job losses, according to research by Business Leadership South Africa in March, is a key indication of just how much alcohol contributes to the fiscus.

The president of the South African Media Research Council, Professor Glenda Gray, has suggested a range of solutions to prevent alcohol abuse, including raising the legal drinking age and making the price of booze steep. She called on government to implement the World Health Organisation recommendations.

These include banning alcohol advertisements, 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.

According to a study by beverage manufacturer and distributor Pura, 75% of the 500 respondents drank no alcohol at all during Level 5, likely due to the ban.

Greig Jansen, chief executive officer, said when asked what they most looked forward to after the easing of restrictions, only 10% said drinking alcohol or going to a bar or club. The study found that despite feeling closer to families, the overarching emotion felt by many was anxiety.

– siphom@citizen.co.za

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