Government had no choice but to implement the alcohol ban as some South Africans struggle to use alcohol moderately, writes Rich Mkhondo.
Described as a menace, not only to consumers but to the broader society, but also lauded as a social lubricant which helps people relax and decompress, there has always been a polarity of views on the merits of alcohol consumption.
While alcohol gives consumers a sense of well-being, feelings of euphoria and relaxes social inhibitions, it is also blamed for illnesses, accidents, social disorder, catastrophes, crime, and death.
As our nation battles the Covid-19 pandemic, we are struggling to find a way to balance the benefits of alcohol, while minimising its dangers.
For me, alcohol evokes more danger to our society than benefits, hence I support its ban, particularly as we battle to limit the death and destruction of Covid-19.
On balance, I believe it is good that our government has chosen that it is better to deprive moderate drinkers of their alcohol, than to allow irresponsible drinkers to misuse it and to place all of us at risk.
The booze stats
Statistics weigh heavily against alcohol.
According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) data, South Africa’s drinking population consumes 28.9 litres of pure alcohol – per capita – a year, the fifth highest consumption rate in the world, below Namibia (31.3 litres), Eswatini (32.7 litres), Cook Islands (32.9 litres) and Tunisia (33.4 litres).
The Medical Research Council’s statistics say 18 000 people are killed annually and 150 000 are severely injured on South African roads. On a daily basis, 45 people die and 410 are injured, with 25 people becoming paralysed. Road crashes, which costs the fiscus R309 billion annually, are the main cause for deaths.
The WHO also says more than 62 300 adults die from alcohol-attributable causes of death in our country, and with a total of approximately 529 400 deaths from all causes annually, roughly one in 10 deaths was attributable to alcohol use.
Stress is known to be one of the common triggers for binge drinking. There are people who use alcohol as a way to cope with anxiety, and this is likely to increase as people try to beat the Covid-19 blues.
People use it to numb pain. While that is certainly a very human response, in these trying times, it’s generally not the best way of managing stress when the possibility of infecting others is higher.
The harm that drinking inflicts on our health and finances usually reflects what’s going on in the country. In bad times like these, it gets worse.
Covid-19 and booze
The extent of the country-wide booze problem during these Covid-19 times is apparent as groups of unkempt alcoholics gather in and around our communities, streets, towns, cities and township streets, lurching drunkenly and wandering around with the potential to infect others.
They tend to lack judgement and make the wrong decisions about confrontational or dangerous situations. It is not just binge drinking alcoholics who are at risk, but everyone around them.
As coronavirus infections spread and stay-at-home orders ensued, so too has alcohol consumption.
Drinking alcohol has also triggered an escalation of domestic violence. Our nation has seen a rise in calls to domestic violence charities.
How does someone who is inebriated observe Covid-19 protocols like wearing a mask, practising physical distancing, frequently washing their hands, avoiding touching their eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands, practicing good respiratory etiquette, including covering coughs and sneezes, let alone avoid close contact with people who are sick?
Binge drinking and disaster
Surely with the incapacitation that accompanies binge drinking, one can only expect disaster and more infections, hence the blanket ban on alcohol sales intended to reduce trauma cases and ease pressure on hospitals.
Nevertheless, many critics of alcohol have acknowledged that, consumed in moderation, beers, wines, whisky and other lubricants need not have dire consequences.
There are those who say the alcohol ban means loss of income for workers and profits for breweries. Is it really possible to choose between possible infections, death and selling alcohol just to please drinkers?
Of course not all people who consume alcohol are binge drinkers. There are those who drink responsibly as advised. But those who drink excessively are spoiling the fun and enjoyment for others. It is these binge drinkers who endanger the lives of many South Africans in these difficult times. It is them who may end up using beds and medical facilities that are earmarked for Covid-19 patients.
Let us all work together to reduce alcohol-related harm by motivating behavioural change as we all battle the pandemic, while promoting a sensible attitude to drinking in the future.
The alcohol ban is not about apportioning blame or passing judgement, but rather about motivating people to have a healthy relationship with alcohol and to take control of their drinking habits.
With the right education and awareness about alcohol and its associated harms, and by opening up conversations about alcohol in this structured way during this difficult time, lives can really be changed.
– Rich Mkhondo runs The Media and Writers Firm (www.mediaandwritersfirm.com), a content development and reputation management hub.
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