South
Africa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) on Monday said restricting marketing
on liquor will have a negative effect on the industry and the economy.
"Restrictions
on marketing will not only have negative consequences for an important South
African industry, but will also have a ripple effect on businesses in other
areas such as the advertising, retail and hospitality industries," Sacci
CEO Neren Rau said in a statement.
Rau
noted that "The motivation given for the proposed ban is understood, but
Sacci believes that it will not address the ills attributed to the misuse of
alcohol."
Last
Friday, the inter-ministerial committee (IMC) to combat alcohol and substance
abuse chaired by Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile
Dlamini agreed to
submit the draft Control of Marketing of Alcohol Beverages Bill during the next
Cabinet cycle.
According
to the committee, "Research has shown that the prevalence of alcohol and
drug abuse among adults in South Africa [is] expanding rapidly to the
destruction of the families, community and society. Government cannot afford to
ignore or be quiet about it."
It
noted that moves by the industry to curb harm caused by drinking alcohol, such
as promoting responsible drinking, were not yielding results.
But
Rau said banning alcohol would not produce the required result sought by the committee.
"Alcohol
abuse is a symptom of more serious socio-economic and unemployment challenges
that face the country. Alleviation of alcohol abuse will be achieved if these
challenges are addressed," Rau said.
According
to the World Health Organisation, we are some of the biggest drinkers in the
world.
In 2009, South African government spent an estimated R7
billion to address the consequences of alcohol abuse, including vehicle
injuries and alcohol-related violence.
Various departments
presented reports on the effect of alcohol on society. "The department of
health presented that tangible costs of alcohol in South Africa have been
estimated to be close to R38 billion, while intangible costs could reach
R240bn. Alcohol was also the third leading risk factor for death and disability
in South Africa. According to the transport department, more than half of the
country's road deaths occurred as a result of alcohol abuse.
"Around
70 percent of domestic violence has been associated with alcohol; arrestees
indicated that they were under the influence of alcohol for 25 percent of
weapons-related offences, 22 percent of rapes, 17 percent of murders, 14 of
assault cases, and 10 percent of robberies."
“Studies
in several countries established that alcohol advertising influences young
people’s behaviour; it normalises drinking in many different settings, brings
about positive beliefs about drinking, and encourages young people to drink
alcohol sooner and in greater quantities,” argued Professor Charles Parry and
colleagues, a director of the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Unit at the
Medical Research Council writing in the South African Medical Journal.
But
Rau said elements of the bill indicated a high degree of intervention in
business.
"An
increasingly restrictive business environment will contribute to reticence
against doing business in South Africa," Rau said.
The
Control of Marketing of Alcoholic Beverages Bill, though still in its earliest
stages, could restrict alcohol advertising, and ban liquor-backed sport
sponsorships.
About
R1.7bn is spent on alcohol advertising every year.
Marketing
analyst Chris Moerdyk said the mass media industry would lose about R2.6bn in (advert)
revenue and a lot of people are going to lose their jobs.
A
similar bill was passed into law on tobacco in 2000 which saw to the banning of
tobacco advertising and increase in taxes.
The bill may well be changed under pressure from the powerful
liquor lobby but it has support from a number of quarters, including the World
Health Organisation, which supports the government’s plan to treat alcohol the
same way as tobacco products.
Additional report from Sapa
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to share your views :-)