Alcohol abuse - a concern for all

By Marimuthu Subramoney
(aka Subry Govender)

Alcohol abuse has become a growing problem in our different communities. The situation has reached such serious proportions that teenagers, including school children, have now also become caught up in the world of "binge" drinking. The spread of alcohol abuse to young persons, teenagers, in schools and colleges is primarily due to a lax in regulation and enforcement and the emergence of illegal taverns(shebeens) in almost all our residential suburbs.
For instance, in Belvedere in Tongaat there are reported to be at least four legal taverns, one bottle store and a number of illegal shebeens. In Hambanathi, there are reported to be at least four legal taverns and a number of illegal shebeens. In the Tongaat CBD, there are reported to be at least a dozen taverns and drinking houses, numerous bottle stores and one bar at a central hotel.
In the Verulam CBD, there are numerous taverns and bottle stores. More or less the same situation prevails in residential suburbs such as Mount View, Trenance Park, Ottawa, Waterloo and Amaotana.
The same situation also prevails in Shakaskraal and its suburbs.
The proliferation of these taverns (both legal and illegal), drinking houses and bottle stores should be the concern of child and social welfare organisations, community groups, political parties and their representatives in the different areas. They should show their concern for obvious reasons.
Alcohol abuse also leads to drug abuse.
Alcohol abuse does not only affect the health and welfare of the alcoholics, their families, friends and colleagues but also leads to all kinds of social and economic problems. According to a research conducted by the Medical Research Council(MRC), alcohol abuse is directly linked to 67 percent of all domestic violence; more than 50 percent of all murders; just under half of all male prisoners had consumed alcohol or drugs at the time, or before committing, their most recent crime; and approximately 40 percent of firearm and 58 percent of blunt instrument homicide victims have consumed alcohol prior to their fatal injuries.
Research has also shown that alcohol abuse has been directly linked to the high mortality rate on South African roads and the incidence of women and child abuse within homes. Alcohol misuse is also a significant contributing factor to those participating in unprotected sex and other dangerous sexual practices that may contribute to the spread of Hiv-Aids.
It's estimated that at least 50 percent motor accidents are alcohol related and this costs the country about R7,5-billion a year. The MRC estimates that alcohol related costs associated with pedestrian trauma alone are in excess of R686-million a year.
Alcohol also has a negative effect on the business community due to absenteeism, poor productivity, high job turnover, interpersonal conflicts, injuries and damage to property. The economic costs in the work place, according to the MRC, are in excess of R7- billion and overall, alcohol abuse costs the country at least R9-billion.
The Government and its social welfare agencies are now worried about the alcohol abuse toll on families, communities and in businesses. The Government intends to introduce legislation to protect teenagers from alcohol abuse by restricting sale of liquor to persons only above 21. Currently the age limit is 18.
The Government also, among other regulations, wants to ensure that non-profit organisations, community groups, religious institutions and social welfare organisations do not use the sale of liquor in their fund-raising programmes.
While the Government's latest moves are certain to be strongly welcomed by child and social welfare and other community organisations, one has to ask, at this time of electioneering for the May 18 municipal elections, what are political parties and their representatives doing or intend doing to help overcome alcohol abuse in our communities in areas such as Shakaskraal, Tongaat, Brake Village, Mithanagar, Hambanathi, Belvedere, Verulam, Waterloo, Mountview, Redcliffe and Cottonlands? Pretty little or nothing! The more poor, ignorant and uninformed the people are, the better it's for political candidates to hoodwink, dupe and deceive them.
One also has to ask child and social welfare organisations whether it's morally acceptable or justifiable to sell liquor during charity fairs to raise funds? Surely this is hypocritical, especially when the main function of child and social organisations is to ensure the social upliftment of marginalised families and people? Take a moment and think about it!