Drinking age of 21 wouldn’t work either

THANK you, Professor Leslie London, for your insightful reply to my letter regarding alcohol abuse and free sex for teens (“Equating under-age sex and drinking misses the point”, The Star, October 11).

The question, however, remains: Will increasing the age limit to 21 bear fruit? I doubt it.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the “average minimum legal drinking age around the world is 15.9 years”. In 50 countries, it is “lower than 18” and in “12 countries, it is higher”. What does this tell us?

Internationally, “80 percent start drinking alcohol at age 15 or even younger” (WHO). They are doing it anyway.

Has an 18-year age restriction achieved its goal? No, it hasn’t. If the one hasn’t worked, why would the other? It is true that alcohol can cause brain damage to children, but that doesn’t stop some parents encouraging their little ones to have a sip of beer.

How does one control drinking in the home?

How does one control the out-of-control drinking at teenage parties, matric farewell after-parties, etc?

Curbing under-age drinking will only be realised if the law is enforced – a difficult undertaking when half of South African teens consume alcohol.

South Africa has an estimated 182 000 illegal shebeens.

Then there is the dubious awarding of liquor licences. This needs to be stricter.

Awareness programmes have had little impact. Are substance abuse centres helping? The alcohol and drug education programme included in the curriculum does not seem to have had any real effect.

Teen alcoholism is increasing all over the world. Free teenage sex is just as devastating, resulting in 99 000 pregnancies last year. This results in newborns being thrown down pit latrines, into rivers, dustbins, suffocated in plastic bags, left in the veld etc. This is infanticide, yet the culprits are never brought to book.

Thousands of young women drop out of school and remain in poverty. Genital diseases and HIV/Aids remain on the increase. Billions are spent on grants. Why are we so scared to enforce rules and regulations and draw the line at certain behaviours?

Why are we so scared to enforce rules and regulations?

Sunnyridge, Germiston