One step at a time

Just because the sale and consumption of alcohol is legal, does not mean booze is nice. That might explain why it’s not sold to under 18s. Indeed, alcohol presents one of the biggest challenges to SA’s Development State.

There are foetal dangers, including stunted growth, cerebral palsy and even neonatal death for women. Alcohol abuse often exacerbates child and spousal abuse and as well as being a drain on scarce household resources. Moreover, even casual drunks have caused terrible motor vehicle accidents and bar brawls that have combined to strain an already strained public health service. Not to mention how persistence alcohol abuse is linked other illnesses like heart disease and stroke.

It is therefore not wise to fetishise drinking alcohol. Indeed, many well-meaning men and women are convinced, with good reason, that like the Americans, we should limit alcohol consumption to over-21s.

Mostly, however, enforcement against alcohol abuse is mostly a joke. Otherwise, Malumes (uncles) who send a child to collect liquor at a bottle store would be routinely cited, and even imprisoned; anyone serving alcohol to a minor would be losing their liquor licences; and those caught drink driving would be routinely losing the licences for a period of time.

If we cannot least enforce the laws we have against alcohol abuse, we should not aspire for more complex proscriptions, like banning the social grant from being used to purchase alcohol.

•Simhasbeenapersistent advocate for banning the useofthesocialgranttobuy alcohol.