Protect youth, ban alcohol advertising

WHILE drug usage makes news, alcohol remains the most commonly used and abused substance among our youth.

There is a misconception that hard drugs are largely to blame for crime. These drugs play their part, but alcohol has possibly the greatest impact on our community.

Alcohol abuse is a progressive disorder in which physical dependency can develop. Even low doses of alcohol impair brain function, judgement, alertness, co-ordination and reflexes.

High doses cause suppression of respiration and death. Chronic alcohol abuse can produce dementia, cirrhosis of the liver, and heart disease; and sudden withdrawal can produce severe anxiety, tremors, hallucinations, and life-threatening convulsions.

Combining drugs and/or using them with alcohol can be extremely dangerous.

One of the ways of beginning to solve the problem is to ban alcohol ads in broadcasting. Our youth have been led to believe that by drinking alcohol, one can become sexy, successful, powerful and happy. Drinking is the “in” thing to do. TV beer ads glamorise drinking and those ads are designed to promote drinking.

Our government allows this to go on because it is not willing to stand up to the powerful and wealthy alcohol and broadcasting industries. The alcohol lobby is rich and powerful, as is the broadcasting industry.

But if concerned citizens band together and speak on this issue, we can get the government to ban all alcohol advertising.

By doing so, we can begin to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our youth from the ravages of alcohol.

SHAAN MOODLIAR Overport

Who is backing Zikalala’s motives?

WE THE people who ultimately feel the consequences of what Sihle Zikalala and his followers are up to need to see who wields the money and power behind this group, as well as their motives.

Is any ratepayers’ money being used via different schemes to fund this group in terms of meetings, transport, food and regalia?

Are any of the Gupta-linked businessmen, who have been recipients of huge tenders for roads, telecoms, electricity, transport and construction, backing this group to preserve their privileges and continue receiving tenders from the Zuma faction?

DINEO MABOE Kwamashu

No surprise at Zuma hiring Fraser

THE huffing and puffing over Arthur Fraser, director-general of the State Security Agency, has reached audible levels, with strident calls for his suspension amid a welter of allegations of misconduct, illegal goings-on and threatening behaviour.

Author Jacques Pauw, for whom I have the greatest respect and whose book The President’s Keepers should be required reading, refers to substantial evidence against Fraser and is quoted as saying “it raises the question of how Jacob Zuma could have appointed Fraser as SSA D-G in August 2016”.

Well, that doesn’t surprise me. In Zuma’s world, such behaviour qualified as meritorious conduct, to be richly rewarded. And I have little doubt that if Zuma had remained in office, Fraser’s position would be impregnable. JOHN GARDENER

Howick