By Barry Bateman
More than double the amount collected in liquor taxes is spent on the social costs of alcohol-related trauma and accidents in South Africa each year.
With this in mind, a government and industry initiative - aimed at reducing the socio-economic impact of alcohol by ensuring legal compliance by traders and responsible drinking by consumers - was announced on Monday.
The National Liquor Awareness Campaign, spearheaded by the department of trade and industry and the National Liquor Authority, seeks to educate the industry about its legislative obligations and create awareness about the effects of alcohol abuse.
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry Elizabeth Thabethe said the liquor industry recorded an annual turnover of about R30-billion.
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Excise duties on alcoholic beverages were estimated at R4.,2-billion in 2003/04, while the social costs of alcohol-related trauma and accidents were in excess of R9-billion.
Thabethe said the primary aim of the programme was to educate the industry about its legislative obligations.
These included complying with the prohibition on selling liquor to intoxicated persons, minors and unregistered traders and not to provide employees with liquor in lieu of remuneration.
The campaign officially kicks off on Monday in De Aar, Northern Cape, which, according to research, has the highest incidence of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome in the world.
Thabethe said liquor regulators had to regulate the liquor industry so that the socio-economic costs of alcohol abuse were reduced.
She said that this was also to ensure that the development of the liquor industry took place in a responsible manner and promoted a culture of social responsibility.
National Liquor Authority head Jeremiah Mela said that the industry had pledged its support for the campaign. "The industry must exercise responsible trading and consumers must exercise responsible drinking."
The campaign would see them interacting with industry stakeholders across the country over the next eight months through information sessions and provincial conferences.
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