Plans for Permanent Alcohol Ban for 18-Year-Olds Being Discussed
- Some government officials are in favour of an alcohol ban a couple of ideas have been suggested
- The most popular idea is the extension of the drinking age to reduce the abuse of alcohol
- The alcohol ban had a serious impact on the liquor industry and will have long lasting effects
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After witnessing the effects of the booze ban during the Covid-19 lockdown some politicians think that a permanent ban might be a good idea.
Source: Facebook
According to Business Insider, at least one cabinet minister thinks that the ban should stay in place forever and there are rumours circulating that an alcohol ban for 18-year-olds might be on the table.
Using the data from lockdown, policymakers are looking at how a limited ban on alcohol might benefit the country.
Three ideas are currently being bandied around.
1. Banning alcohol advertising completely
A complete ban on alcohol adverts is one of the ideas being considered to reduce the abuse of alcohol.
2. Better ways to track unlicensed trade
New ways to track unlicensed alcohol sales would theoretically help reduce the illegal sale of alcohol.
3. Extending the drinking age
This is by far the most popular of the ideas at the moment. -operative governance and traditional affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is personally in favour of this proposal.
"All of these I consider to be useful medium to long term tools to reduce South Africa’s high rate of alcohol consumption to be considered by the legislature in due course," she said.
The alcohol ban had also damaged the alcohol industry and forced a rethink in how they trade in future and many of the large brands had to rely on international sales to stay afloat.
Smaller businesses in the alcohol industry were hardest hit during the lockdown and this had a knock-on effect throughout the hospitality industry according to Business Tech.
Earlier, Briefly.co.za reported that a video showing a party which allegedly took place East London, Eastern Cape with mask-less people has gone viral on social media. The Eastern Cape Liquor Board (ECLB) has now condemned the video and the actions of the people in the video.
The 30-second clip was shared to Twitter by @RamsByTheHorns. The people in the video are not only mask-less but are also not maintaining social distancing. This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the ban on alcohol had been lifted.
The ECLB has labelled the actions in the video as 'concerning'. They went on to caution people who are continuously breaking regulations that this could lead to the banning of booze again.
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Source: Briefly News
