Education key to fighting alcoholism
ALCOHOL abuse is deeply entrenched in this country, including in our farming communities, where the legacy of the notorious tot or “dop” system, though no longer legal, continues to destroy prospects and families. It is also worrying that so many young men and women, with their whole lives ahead of them, are effectively alcoholics.
Today we report that researchers looking into alcohol dependence in Kirkwood and Nelson Mandela Bay found that 39% of men and 19% of women between the ages of 19 and 34 had harmful levels of alcohol dependence.
The study is part of a project to identify barriers to healthcare and find ways to improve access to health services.
It is not inconceivable that there is a link between women who drink during pregnancy, resulting in foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in the unborn child, and access to early pregnancy detection, for instance through the clinic system.
Several months may go by before many of these women even realise they are pregnant. Tragically by then the damage is often already done as even the smallest amount of alcohol can expose the foetus to irreversible risk.
South Africa has the dubious distinction of being a world leader in the prevalence of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).
It is not just a problem that affects babies and children as the developmental lag and behavioural problems typically associated with the condition can last a lifetime.
These adults may then go on to become addicts themselves, perpetuating the cycle, and so it follows that FAS becomes a heavy burden both for families and society at large across multiple generations.
Education about the dangers of alcohol abuse, particularly during pregnancy, is a vital tool to reduce the incidence of FAS. The message must not just be driven home to women, but entire communities have to be targeted.
It is also important that women have greater ease of access to state-funded health facilities where they can receive access to both birth control and early pregnancy detection.