Dangerous drinking problem
Part of the lockdown regulations announced by the government was the suspension of alcohol and tobacco retail, which has sparked a debate and dominated headlines.
The Gauteng Liquor Board threatened to take the president to court over the halt of selling liquor and tobacco and one of its strong mitigating factors was the huge number of jobs on the line.
Ever since the lockdown started, we have seen a decrease in car accidents and other crimes that are seen to be motivated by alcohol, yet we have witnessed a rise in gender-based violence.
The World Health Organisation quickly dismissed the myth that “alcohol cures corona and protects one from it”, stressing that drinking and smoking can make one more susceptible to the virus.
According to the SA Good News website, SA is the biggest drinking nation in Africa and 19th in the world.
Ever the since the sale of alcohol and tobacco was ceased, people have been consumed with when these will be sold again.
We are faced with a global deadly virus that has also had a serious effect on the economy, but we are worried about things less important. Some people have bought alcohol from the illicit market, where prices are highly inflated.
Post Covid-19, we need to do critical introspection and ask ourselves whether we as a nation have a problem with over-using alcohol.
Since the president announced the transition from level 4 to 3, the big excitement is about the June 1 opening of the liquor trade, and people will flock in big numbers to their nearest bottle stores.
I understand, not that I condone it, that many use alcohol as a coping mechanism.
Over the weekend, the media reported that two died and 10 are in hospital after drinking a home-made concoction near Stutterheim.
In 2017, a taxi ploughed into a group of teenagers alleged to be drunk outside a then popular sports bar in Zwide, Port Elizabeth, killing two 14year-olds and seriously injuring a 13-year-old.
Why is alcohol also so easily accessible to those legally underage to drink?