Tackling issues of substance abuse
"Alcohol causes more damage to our communities than we realise and there is a lack of support to fix the damage caused.
"The reality of the harmful use of alcohol is that it impacts the lives of individuals, destroys families and burdens the whole of society. We need change, and we need your help, and the assistance of everyone else to make change happen."
This, municipal manager Advocate Thys Giliomee said when he welcomed a high level delegation of government representatives when they met in Mossel Bay last week to strategise to minimise social ills.
Alcohol most harmful drug
"Although alcohol is legal, it is the most widely abused drug in South Africa. Based on the magnitude of harm the drug causes both to drinkers and those affected by drinking, alcohol ranks as the most harmful of a selection of 20 drugs when combining harms to both users and others."
Advocate Giliomee revealed worrying statistics that reflect the Western Cape population.
Current statistics
35.2% of Western Cape learners in grades 8-11 binge drink – more than any other province.
7-10% of our GDP, or R165 - R236 billion, is estimated to be lost to South Africa’s economy due to alcohol-related harms.
70% of crimes in our communities are linked to substance abuse.
67% of domestic violence in our communities is alcohol related.
70% of trauma victims in hospitals test positive for alcohol.
18%-26% of grade 1 learners in certain high-risk communities showed signs of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Game changer
The Western Cape Government has identified the harm caused by alcohol use as a priority issue for the provincial government, and the Provincial Cabinet has selected the reduction of alcohol-related harm to be one of its “game changers”.
During 2015 the Western Cape Provincial Cabinet agreed that an alcohol-related harms reduction policy should be developed to guide the Western Cape Government’s approach to the regulation of alcohol.
The focus is to make a significant impact on a problem that is destroying lives, tearing apart the social fabric and hampering socio-economic development, by providing effective interventions to reduce alcoholrelated harm.
Working group
A diverse public sector working group, under chairpersonship of Dr Lauren Platzky, was established to drive the process of developing the Alcohol-related harms reduction White Paper. The working group comprised representatives from: - relevant provincial departments - local government - South African Police Services (SAPS) - the Western Cape Liquor Authority (WCLA)
- the South African Medical Research Council and
- academia.
Based on their expertise and in consultation with their departments, stakeholder groups provided evidence-based input on their focus areas.
"Our existing laws and policies focus on the regulations of licensing, production, distribution and sale of alcohol, but do not address the impact and consequences of alcohol-related harms on society. In the past there have been attempts to address the harmful use of alcohol in the Western Cape. Despite these efforts, however, problem drinking and its associated negative consequences remain a substantial health, social and economic burden to the province.
"The Alcohol Harms Reduction Green Paper is the first step towards making our communities safer and our opportunities greater, by minimising alcohol consumption and reducing unnecessary harm to individuals, families and society as a whole," Adv Giliomee added.
The way forward
The way forward, Adv Giliomee suggested, involves regulating alcohol in terms of its consumption and its consequences, using a whole-of-society approach.
"We all need to play our part to make this work. The policy aims to provide a balanced regulation of alcohol, which reduces the harm caused by alcohol in communities, while continuing to acknowledge its contribution to agriculture and the economy."
Late last year Adv Giliomee asked the Western Cape MEC of health, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo, to consider the establishment of a drug rehabilitation centre on the land the department has earmarked for a new provincial hospital.
"Drug-related crimes in the Mossel Bay area have increased by 10.7% from 1 558 in 2015, to 1 725 in 2016. Drug-related crimes within the Eden District increased by 3.6% from 1 529 in 2015 to 1 584 in 2016. Yet, there is no drug or substance abuse rehabilitation treatment centre in the Southern Cape.
"The incidence of drug-related crime within the Mossel Bay area is higher than in the Eden District average, and the extent of the crime does not only have a significant impact on the livelihood of residents but impacts the general economy," Adv Giliomee said.
The reality of the harmful use of alcohol is that it impacts the lives of individuals, destroys families and burdens the whole of society.