Confiscation stats are staggering

ALCOHOL confiscation statistics paint a worrying picture, the City said, as the Liquor Enforcement Unit had taken in 11 389 bottles between December 1 and January 9.

Totalling 7 747 litres, the City said the gap between last year’s confiscations and the current ones would grow even more once the tallies were updated.

“The liquor enforcement unit is still booking in the weekend’s confiscations, so that won’t be reflecting yet, and we have significantly higher temperatures on the cards this week, which means the potential for further confiscations is high. These statistics paint a very worrying picture. Alcohol abuse remains a central theme of safety messages and awareness campaigns over the festive season, but in summer, in general.

“That so many people remain willing to put themselves and others at risk by consuming alcohol on the beach, and then still getting into the water speaks volumes about the enormity of the challenge,” Mayco member for safety JP Smith said.

Confiscated alcohol is booked into the City’s liquor pound in Ndabeni.

The alcohol is destroyed if it is not collected within three months in terms of the City’s impoundments policy.

In other enforcement actions over the past week, the Metro Police Department arrested three suspects for driving under the influence of alcohol, and 12 others on a range of charges, including possession of/and dealing in drugs, riotous behaviour and resisting arrest.