With Social Development Month being observed across the country, Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe made a heartfelt appeal to all South Africans. She asked citizens not to consume during October or sell alcohol to children, as part of a broader effort to combat alcohol abuse.
At World No Alcohol Day, which was commemorated on Wednesday, October 3, in Sweetwaters, a community in KwaZulu-Natal’s uMgungundlovu District, Tolashe and Cynthia Mbali Shinga, the MEC for Social Development in KwaZulu-Natal, used the occasion to highlight the harmful effects of alcohol abuse on individuals, families and communities.
The event, held in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Social Development, SAAPA (Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance), and the Central Drug Authority (CDA), focused on raising awareness about the dangers of alcohol misuse, particularly its impact on South African youth.
This year’s theme, “Say No to alcohol and selling alcohol to minors is a crime,” called attention to the risks of underage drinking and selling alcohol to children.
Why Sweetwaters?
Sweetwaters was chosen as the location for the event due to its troubling record of alcohol abuse, high crime rates and teenage pregnancies.
Last year, the community was left devastated when 12 young people, who were under the influence of alcohol and drugs, tragically lost their lives in a fire.
Tolashe used this commemoration as part of the Department of Social Development’s (DSD) ongoing outreach efforts during DSD Month, which this year is being held under the theme: “30 years of Democracy, Partnership and Growth: Towards Reigniting the Role of the Family.”
South Africa’s troubling relationship with alcohol
The Department of Social Development highlighted the concerning trend of alcohol misuse in South Africa.
Alcohol remains the most widely abused legal substance in the country, with serious consequences for communities, particularly young people. South Africa ranks among the world’s highest consumers of alcohol and this trend has worsened over the past decade.
Alcohol-related deaths are alarmingly high, contributing to nearly 50% of all non-natural deaths. Statistics show that 75% of homicides, 60% of automobile accidents, and 24% of vehicle-related deaths and injuries are linked to alcohol.
Tolashe pointed out that alcohol is the third-largest contributor to death and disability in South Africa, after unsafe sex and interpersonal violence, both of which are heavily influenced by alcohol consumption.
Young lives and the cycle of abuse
Young people, especially those aged 15 to 29, bear the heaviest burden of disease linked to alcohol use. The minister noted that while men generally drink more heavily than women, many young women in South Africa also consume alcohol.
Worryingly, women from disadvantaged communities, who drink as much as men, are far less likely to access treatment.
For young women, alcohol use is also associated with various health risks, including unsafe sexual practices, poor adherence to HIV medication, depression, and intimate partner violence.
The minister warned that alcohol use by parents and caregivers can have long-lasting negative effects on children, leading to disorganized homes and chaotic routines.
She further emphasised the risks of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), which can result from drinking during pregnancy. September, which is observed as FASD Month, saw the Department of Social Development running awareness campaigns across the provinces to educate communities about the dangers of alcohol use during pregnancy.
South Africa faces a critical challenge with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), a preventable condition with a national prevalence rate of 11%. FASD is a serious disorder resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure, impacting thousands of individuals across the country.
Alcohol and South African youth
Data from the 2016 South African National Demographic and Health Survey revealed that one in four young people between the ages of 15 and 19 had consumed alcohol.
This troubling statistic underlined the importance of the Department’s Youth Dialogues, which were held as part of the lead-up to World No Alcohol Day.
These dialogues aimed to educate young people about the risks of binge drinking and the importance of not selling alcohol to minors.
Tolashe pointed to the tragic events in Scenery Park, East London, where 21 young lives were lost at the Enyobeni Tavern, as a stark reminder of the dangers facing children.
This incident, she said, highlighted the risks posed by a combination of poverty, unemployment, broken family structures and weak community support systems.
The need for stronger policies
Tolashe concluded by calling for stronger enforcement of South Africa’s alcohol laws, particularly those preventing access to alcohol for children under 18.
She stressed the need for better monitoring of alcohol sale licenses and tighter regulations to protect the country’s youth from the devastating impact of alcohol abuse.