Alcohol advertising should be restricted

THE ARTICLE “higher cigarette taxes” (Cape Argus, July 7) refers.

Tobacco can kill at the rate of one person every 6 seconds or just over 5 million people per year.

Out of a world population estimated at around 3 billion people, that represents about 0.17 percent – and this is counting only deaths directly related to smoking.

An analysis would probably show that more people die of flu and pneumonia that may be linked to the habit.

Those that die from the tobacco habit and from the various related diseases only have themselves to blame.

To counter the habit and prevent inhalation by passive smokers, advertising for cigarettes was already banned worldwide some 10 years ago.

In addition, with the annual tax increases on tobacco in South Africa, our total tax must already be close to the 75 percent recommended by the World Health Organisation.

However, the annual tax increase on another serious health hazard – alcohol – is generally about half that on tobacco

At one stage it was suggested stopping or reducing the advertising of alcohol.

But now, besides the many TV ads, there is not a newspaper that does not daily have an ad about alcohol. There are many others also promoting the use of alcohol.

How much more do you need to promote drinking or is South African Breweries too powerful to be curtailed?

If there is an organisation researching this, it would be interesting to know how many people in the world die or get killed due to alcohol use, either by the annual carnage on the roads or in a brawl or an argument at home going too far.

Even a little alcohol can numb the brain, preventing people from seeing things clearly or being able to control their actions.

Young and old get abused, maimed for life or get killed, which often falls under the category of murder.

In other words, the user is not just killing himself, he is more often than not the killer of others.

Restricting or limiting alcohol related advertisements would reduce the incentive to drink, and thus reduce this senseless killing.

O VAN DER MEULEN

Camps Bay