You drink ... you walk ... you’ll be in big trouble

Province plans war on inebriated pedestrians

PEDESTRIANS in the Western Cape may soon be subjected to Breathalyser tests.

This week the provincial government published a green paper — The Western Cape Alcoholrelated Harms Reduction Policy — which proposes restrictions on where pedestrians who have had a drink may walk.

According to the paper, pedestrians “under the influence of alcohol often exhibit risky behaviour, like crossing streets dangerously, and sustain more severe injuries”.

It proposes that it be made illegal for pedestrians with a breath alcohol level of 0.15g or higher to “walk on or adjacent to higher order roads between designated hours” in areas where crashes are prevalent.

In 2010, the World Health Organisation ranked South Africa fourth in the world when it comes to risky drinking patterns.

To reduce alcohol consumption — which the province says is unhealthy and leads to accidents as well as violence — it is proposed that the national government increase excise tax on alcohol, making it prohibitively expensive.

The paper also calls for a system to trace alcoholic products from producer to retailer to curb sales to shebeens.

In addition, liquor traders whose premises are in dark areas where intoxicated patrons could fall victim to traffic accidents, must have “proof of a contract with an approved public transport” service that drunk patrons can use to get home. Other proposals include that:

The sale of alcohol from premises on national and provincial roads be restricted;

A zero breath alcohol limit be imposed on drivers under the age of 21 or those who have been licensed for less than three years;

Blood samples be obtained from all people involved in road crashes as soon as possible; and

Law enforcement officers be permitted to use the “last drink” strategy, allowing them to inwhere quire where an offender had their last drink and use the information to focus attention on outlets contributing to harm.

“This is what was recommended by WHO in the global strategy on alcohol in 2010,” said Soul City Institute advocacy manager Savera Kalideen.

“These are evidence-based recommendations and we commend the Western Cape government for taking the step.”

Commenting on Breathalyser tests for pedestrians, deputy director-general in the department of the premier, Dr Laurine Platzky, said: “Initially certain main roads will be targeted, there are regular crashes as a result of pedestrians stumbling into the road.”

Sanctions would include community work and rehabilitation.

However, some club and pub owners slammed the proposals.

Beerhouse owner Randolf Jorberg said a cut in trading hours would mean “massive job losses” and the “last drink initiative” would make doing business “next to impossible”.

Jorberg said there was no way of establishing if a drunk patron would make good on the promise of using public transport to get home.

Sibani Mngadi, spokesman of the South African Liquor Brand Owners Association, said the industry supported the tracking of liquor products, but disagreed that a tax hike would reduce binge drinking.

“Experience indicates that a disproportionate increase in taxes stimulates the illegal market . . . Lower-end consumers opt for cheap products that are produced illegally or on which tax has not been paid,” Mngadi said.

Ndithini Thyido, chairman of the Khayelitsha Development Forum, said: “You can’t say in darker areas people can’t trade . . . the government’s responsibility is to light Khayelitsha up.”

Certain main roads will be targeted, where there are regular crashes

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