Raising the legal drinking age won’t solve the problem of underaged drinking

At the mass burial of the 21 teenagers who mysteriously died at Enyobeni Tavern, President Cyril Ramaphosa this week suggested raising the legal age to consume alcohol to 21.

In the meantime, the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (Saapa) and alcohol and regulation interest groups called for stricter regulations of alcohol policies relating to trade and viability in the communities.

Bongi Ndondo of Hlanganisa Community Fund for Social and Gender Justice Southern Africa and social justice expert said: “South Africa has a problem and we need to look at addressing it.”

Ndondo called on the president to contact experts to find lasting solutions.

“South Africans should use the tavern tragedy as a point of reflection and think about what caused the tragedy and what we can do about it,” she said.

“We have a collective responsibility to make sure we fix what was broken.

“Now is the time.”

Saapa director Maurice Smithers said the organisation was in support of raising the age of drinking from 18 to 21.

“There are health and social benefits in doing so, but raising the drinking age limit will not on its own achieve anything,” he said.

“Covid highlighted the challenges faced in the respect of the harmful use of alcohol.”

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Smithers said that in 2016, the department of trade and industry drafted a new liquor policy which identified weaknesses in the Liquor Act of 2003, and proposed changes that included limiting and banning alcohol advertising, reducing its availability and increasing the price of alcohol.

“The Liquor Amendment Bill, which would have given effect to the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations and meant to be released for public comment, instead came to a halt and the Bill never made it to parliament,” he said.

Smithers said nothing has happened to date.

“Since the lifting of Covid restrictions, the prevailing narrative has been economic growth with legislative measures to counter alcohol harm no longer on the national agenda,” he added.

Smithers said underage drinking was a symptom of a much bigger problem.

“Unless this is recognised, appropriate solutions will not be found. We already have a national liquor policy based on the WHO recommendations. All we needed was to put in place measures to make the policy measures into law,” he said.

John Tollner, who used to drink heavily, said changing the age of drink doesn’t change much.

“I started drinking before I was 18 years old,” he said.

Tollner went to rehab for six months during lockdown, after his drinking cost him a job.

“There are a lot of people out there who didn’t realise they have a problem,” he said.

Tollner said it happened so quickly.

“It started with one glass after work, then two and three – and then a box of wine,” he said.

He said the alcohol industry glamorised alcohol consumption to make it more appealing to the youth.

Pi Pretorius, a youth mentor from the West Rand, said alcohol wasn’t the biggest problem among the youth.

“Drugs are a problem in the schools. I see more youth smoking dagga and tik. It is mostly drugs. I hardly get to deal with alcohol abuse,” he said.

– marizkac@citizen.co.za