The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance in South Africa (SAAPA SA) is urging the government to take a more comprehensive approach to addressing alcohol-related harm in the country. According to SAAPA SA campaign director Nomcebo Dlamini, simply telling people to "drink responsibly" is not enough to reduce the harm linked to drinking. The organization is calling for tougher controls on pricing, advertising, availability, and enforcement ahead of the National Alcohol Summit.
The National Alcohol Summit, which will take place from 1 to 3 October at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, will bring together government officials, civil society, researchers, youth organizations, and communities to discuss the issue of alcohol-related harm. The summit comes amid growing concern over alcohol's contribution to road deaths, violence, injury, and pressure on health services, as well as harmful drinking among young people and alcohol use during pregnancy.
Dlamini emphasized that awareness campaigns have a role to play, but they need to be backed by stronger policy measures. She argued that the country needs a broader public health response that includes stronger alcohol taxation, restrictions on advertising and promotion, better regulation of trading hours and outlet density, tougher action against drink-driving, and improved access to treatment.
One of the key issues expected to feature strongly at the summit is the price of alcohol. SAAPA SA wants alcohol taxation to be treated not only as a way of raising revenue but also as a public health measure. The organization supports consideration of minimum unit pricing, which would set a floor below which a unit of alcohol could not be sold, and would be aimed particularly at very cheap alcohol.
The approach broadly reflects the World Health Organization's SAFER framework, which identifies five priority areas: restricting alcohol availability, strengthening drink-driving measures, improving access to screening and treatment, restricting advertising and promotion, and raising prices through taxation and other pricing policies. The WHO describes taxation and pricing policies as among the most effective and cost-effective measures available to governments to reduce harmful alcohol use.
Dlamini acknowledged concerns that higher taxes and tighter alcohol controls could affect businesses and jobs or encourage illicit trade. However, she argued that the economic discussion also has to take into account the costs alcohol-related harm imposes on families, employers, the health system, criminal justice system, and wider economy. She emphasized that any policy intervention should consider its economic consequences and should be accompanied by effective enforcement.
The summit plans to develop a Call to Action and Accountability Framework setting out responsibilities and ways of measuring progress after delegates leave Constitution Hill. Dlamini wants it to contain measurable commitments on taxation and pricing, advertising, trading hours, outlet density, drink-driving, prevention, and treatment, together with clear timelines and responsibility for implementation. Progress will be assessed through indicators such as alcohol affordability, exposure to marketing, compliance with trading-hour rules, road crashes and fatalities, hospital admissions, and access to treatment.
Key points
- SAAPA SA is calling for stronger action on alcohol-related harm, including tougher controls on pricing, advertising, availability, and enforcement.
- The organization wants alcohol taxation to be treated not only as a way of raising revenue but also as a public health measure.
- The National Alcohol Summit will develop a Call to Action and Accountability Framework to measure progress on addressing alcohol-related harm.
