
SA health minister on the rationale behind the booze ban
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday announced that a nationwide ban on the sale and distribution of alcohol would take effect immediately.
The decision has been met with mixed reaction from various sectors. Some have argued that this further imposes on their individual liberties while others have lauded the move as an important measure to alleviate pressure on our health-care system and curb the rate of gender-based violence in our communities.
For one to understand the decision, it is vital to assess the evidence of the social impact alcohol has in the South African context.
According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global
Status Report on Alcohol and Health published in 2018, about a third of South Africans 15 years and older are current drinkers (have consumed alcohol in the past 12 months), and almost 60% of those engage in binge drinking.
During this time of Covid-19, when every bed, every health-care worker, and every ounce of oxygen is needed, it would be unforgivable to identify a clear burden on the health-care system – such as alcohol – and do nothing about it.
During the hard lockdown earlier this year, when the sale of liquor was initially banned, there was a 60% to 70% reduction in hospital visits and admissions related to trauma.
On the weekend of March 21, for example, there was a 25%-50% drop in transport emergencies dealt with by ER24’s contact centre, a drop in assaults and stabbings recorded by Rescue 786 Ambulance Services, and a decline in surgical and medical emergency cases at Johannesburg’s Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
Such patients place a strain on medical facilities for extended periods, facilities that are now essential for the treatment of Covid-19 cases.
For example, 2% of stab-related cases and 25% of blunt force trauma cases (both commonly associated with alcohol abuse) require admission into ICU for a number of days. By preventing thousands of such cases entering hospitals, critical staff, medicine, funds, equipment and beds can be saved for Covid-19 patients.