Without getting into the merits of the alcohol industry's request for a tax deferment until it is allowed to trade again, the government's handling of the latest alcohol ban has been shambolic. At the same time, the industry must acknowledge the societal damage wrought by abuse of its products, which has led to a hardening of attitudes in the government and society at large.
Last Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said: "There is now clear evidence that the resumption of alcohol sales resulted in substantial pressure being put on hospitals, including trauma and ICU units, due to motor-vehicle accidents, violence and related trauma."
As we report today, the government based its decision on a contentious report by a panel of medical experts convened by professor Charles Parry, director of the South African Medical Research Council's tobacco and other drugs research centre. The report said there had been a "noticeable increase in trauma-related injuries" when alcohol was involved. It said that lifting the ban had led to an increase of between 60% and 70% in some hospital trauma admissions.
"In [KwaZulu-Natal] there was a 100% increase in some hospital admissions. In Gauteng, some hospitals experienced a 500% increase compared to admissions under level 4 (when alcohol sales were banned)."
While some medical experts in the ministerial advisory council - which advises the health minister on the approach to battling Covid-19 - have dismissed the report for being based on "dodgy science", it is agreed that alcohol-related violence, coupled with drinking and driving, led to an increase in trauma-unit admissions. In a country where Covid-19 infections are approaching 350,000, ICU beds cannot be clogged up by such avoidable action.
However, the government's knee-jerk reaction to alcohol sales is causing more harm. The alcohol industry contributes R51bn a year in direct taxes and employs and sustains about 1-million lives. It pumps millions into corporate social responsibility projects. It also supports industries such as bottle and can makers. The government cannot turn such a crucial industry on and off, depending on the predominant mood in the National Coronavirus Command Council. The industry should have been consulted on time, and been allowed to argue its case, including presenting alternatives.
But the alcohol industry must be honest with itself and the public. Its commendable contributions to our fiscus are offset by the cost of treating alcohol-related injuries at public-health facilities. While alcohol is legal, its abuse breaks homes, shatters marriages, leads to drunken driving, increases interpersonal violence, and exacerbates societal misbehaviour. It cannot be left to the government alone to pick up the tab and the consequences of alcohol abuse.
While alcohol is legal, its abuse breaks homes, shatters marriages, leads to drunken driving, increases interpersonal violence, and exacerbates societal misbehaviour
The National Liquor Traders Council - representing 20,000 licensed tavern and shebeen owners - decries the sales ban for already having destroyed the businesses of 15% of its members. But what is the council doing to curb alcohol-induced violence at those outlets? How is it holding its members accountable? Do owners identify misbehaving drinkers and permanently exclude them from their premises? Does the council check that its members don't sell alcohol to minors?
The government is also at fault. The increase in trauma-related admissions points to a failure by law enforcement to effectively police public drinking and bring miscreants to book during the lockdown, and to clamp down on drunken drivers. Why must the industry pay for the failures of law enforcement?
The issue of alcohol sales regulation is a difficult one. In this instance all parties are at fault.
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