More than halfway through January and we’re at that stage where it feels as if the festive season never happened.
But, contrary to most people’s hopes, 2021 failed to bring with it the fresh start, the clean slate, the virus-free country and world that we so desire.
Instead, we start the new year dragging 2020’s baggage through the door with us, complete with restrictions on our physical activities.
And by physical activities I refer to worshiping at church, enjoying beach volleyball or taking a dip in the ocean, to name but a few.
Of course, I also refer to the curtailment of partying and drinking the night away.
Yes, South Africans’ worst fears were realised shortly before the New Year celebrations when President Ramaphosa announced the third alcohol ban since lockdown began almost a year ago.
Luckily for those who had already stocked up their drinking cabinets in preparation of the final farewell to a disastrous year, right?
New Year celebrations without drink? How preposterous, most of us scoffed, not taking into account anything else that was mentioned during that particular ‘family meeting’.
Yes, there are many people employed in the liquor industry and this time is indeed difficult for them.
But the positive effects of the New Year booze ban were felt far and wide as hospital upon hospital reported empty trauma wards over New Year’s
Eve – a time when they would ordinarily be packed to capacity.
SAPS reported little to no violent crime, while traffic police reported a sharp decline in road accidents.
So why can’t South Africans behave themselves when drinking?
Why is it that we party on until the guns or knives come out and someone ends up in ICU, or worse?
Why do our inebriated, intoxicated selves get behind the wheel?
We complain we are probably the only country with multiple booze bans.
But the statistics speak for themselves.
If we were able to drink responsibly and not get behind the wheel when we’re a bottle of hard tack down, or not resort to violence when someone offends us while in our drunken stupor, we would not have to endure the closure of the liquor stores.
At the end of the day, our hospitals are packed to capacity with Covid-19 patients and our healthcare workers are overstretched.
The last thing they need to contend with is self-inflicted, avoidable injury and death when they have so much death on their doorstep already.
So when the worst is over and the booze ban is lifted, why not raise a glass in honour of our country’s healthcare workers who, for months now, have placed their lives on the line to care for our loved ones.
