A group of teenagers carrying bottles of beer and cider could be seen dancing in the streets to loud music from a liquor outlet in Makgofe village on Saturday night.
Makgofe, 20km outside Polokwane in Limpopo, was having a lively night with people walking the streets freely with their alcoholic beverages in hand.
A scuffle broke out among the young revellers, causing the group to disappear into the dark streets for a while before returning to the spot opposite the tavern.
Some of them looked younger than 18, which is South Africa's minimum legal drinking age.
Government's recently proposed legislation to raise the minimum legal drinking age to 21 could mean some of these kids would remain illegal drinkers for a while longer.
Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies released the National Liquor Amendment Bill of 2016 for public consultation last week as part of government's efforts to reduce alcohol abuse in the country.
During his announcement for the proposed changes, Davies raised concerns that early alcohol consumption had a negative impact on young people as it affected their development.
The Bill includes stricter regulations for liquor advertising, as well as making outlets that sell alcohol to customers who are already intoxicated legally liable for any offence or damage caused by the drunk customer.
According to a 2015 study by the University of Limpopo published in the African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 35.5% of male and 29.7% of female learners consume alcohol.
The study also found that both male and female respondents engaged in binge drinking while the consumption of alcohol seemed to increase with age.
Factors including peer pressure, gender and parental alcohol use were listed among major contributors to drinking for pupils.
Sowetan spoke to a group of young people who were drinking at a local park in Seshego township on Saturday evening.
One teenager said he started experimenting with alcohol when he was nine years old and had since graduated to drinking occasionally.
He said it all started when they would steal some alcohol at family gatherings during the festive season. "The feeling of alcohol is nice. That's why we go back to it."
A 17-year-old thought extending the legal age would not deter young people from consuming alcohol.
"They should actually take it down to 16 years so that teenagers can experiment with alcohol at an early age. That way they can stop drinking sooner," he said.
The teenager who described himself as a model pupil at school said he hid his drinking from his family.
"They might suspect that I drink but I hide it from them out of respect," he said.
A Grade 12 pupil, aged 20, said he had woken up in hospital on two occasions after he blacked out from excessive drinking - but this had not stopped him from continuing.
"Even if they can extend the legal drinking age teenagers will not stop doing it. I'm very sure that I started drinking seven or eight years before I turned 18. We do it to fit in and to feel cool," he said.
Empty bottles could be seen lying around where the group was sitting. A 19-year-old who was taking a sip from his beer bottle told Sowetan he started drinking at the age of 12. "It became a way of blowing off steam after exams and also celebrating. We had older brothers who would buy alcohol for us," he said.
He said he also thought children would keep engaging in early drinking despite the law.
"Like I said, I started drinking at 12. Even if they raise the legal drinking age before I turn 21 I won't stop," the teenager said.
He also acknowledged the negative side of alcohol.
"A lot of people lose themselves after drinking. You end up wanting to stay drunk and high all the time," he said.
Teenagers will still drink despite harsher rules
Amanda Swanepoel from the SA National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence in Limpopo said changing the legal drinking age would not help unless there was tougher law enforcement.
Swanepoel said they were seeing more minors, including 13-year-olds, coming to their facilities to get help with addiction to various substances, especially nyaope. She said it was concerning that teenagers carried on drinking with little or no consequence despite the age requirement.
She said teenagers were drinking alcohol and using drugs, sometimes at school and right under their parents' noses.
"What happens to them if they drink? Nothing happens to them. We need to address this in a different way," Swanepoel said. She said people also needed to be educated on the perils of alcoholism.
Spokeswoman for the provincial department of social development Adele van der Linde said they were concerned with the social impact of underage drinking.
"Young people think it's cool or the "in-thing" to use alcohol, and they soon get caught in a web of substance abuse. Since the use of alcohol reduces inhibition, it further leads to young people leading promiscuous lifestyles, which may lead to STIs and HIV," she said.
She said the department tried through campaigns and various programmes to educate communities on the dangers of substance abuse. "During the department's interaction with communities, we also advocate for liquor outlets and taverns not to be near schools and/or places of worship. However, the department can merely advocate and make suggestions/recommendations in terms of liquor licences," she said. - Zoë Mahopo
mahopoz@sowetan.co.za
'Law won't stop us drinking'
A group of teenagers carrying bottles of beer and cider could be seen dancing in the streets to loud music from a liquor outlet in Makgofe village on Saturday night.
Makgofe, 20km outside Polokwane in Limpopo, was having a lively night with people walking the streets freely with their alcoholic beverages in hand.
A scuffle broke out among the young revellers, causing the group to disappear into the dark streets for a while before returning to the spot opposite the tavern.
Some of them looked younger than 18, which is South Africa's minimum legal drinking age.
Government's recently proposed legislation to raise the minimum legal drinking age to 21 could mean some of these kids would remain illegal drinkers for a while longer.
Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies released the National Liquor Amendment Bill of 2016 for public consultation last week as part of government's efforts to reduce alcohol abuse in the country.
During his announcement for the proposed changes, Davies raised concerns that early alcohol consumption had a negative impact on young people as it affected their development.
The Bill includes stricter regulations for liquor advertising, as well as making outlets that sell alcohol to customers who are already intoxicated legally liable for any offence or damage caused by the drunk customer.
According to a 2015 study by the University of Limpopo published in the African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 35.5% of male and 29.7% of female learners consume alcohol.
The study also found that both male and female respondents engaged in binge drinking while the consumption of alcohol seemed to increase with age.
Factors including peer pressure, gender and parental alcohol use were listed among major contributors to drinking for pupils.
Sowetan spoke to a group of young people who were drinking at a local park in Seshego township on Saturday evening.
One teenager said he started experimenting with alcohol when he was nine years old and had since graduated to drinking occasionally.
He said it all started when they would steal some alcohol at family gatherings during the festive season. "The feeling of alcohol is nice. That's why we go back to it."
A 17-year-old thought extending the legal age would not deter young people from consuming alcohol.
"They should actually take it down to 16 years so that teenagers can experiment with alcohol at an early age. That way they can stop drinking sooner," he said.
The teenager who described himself as a model pupil at school said he hid his drinking from his family.
"They might suspect that I drink but I hide it from them out of respect," he said.
A Grade 12 pupil, aged 20, said he had woken up in hospital on two occasions after he blacked out from excessive drinking - but this had not stopped him from continuing.
"Even if they can extend the legal drinking age teenagers will not stop doing it. I'm very sure that I started drinking seven or eight years before I turned 18. We do it to fit in and to feel cool," he said.
Empty bottles could be seen lying around where the group was sitting. A 19-year-old who was taking a sip from his beer bottle told Sowetan he started drinking at the age of 12. "It became a way of blowing off steam after exams and also celebrating. We had older brothers who would buy alcohol for us," he said.
He said he also thought children would keep engaging in early drinking despite the law.
"Like I said, I started drinking at 12. Even if they raise the legal drinking age before I turn 21 I won't stop," the teenager said.
He also acknowledged the negative side of alcohol.
"A lot of people lose themselves after drinking. You end up wanting to stay drunk and high all the time," he said.
Teenagers will still drink despite harsher rules
Amanda Swanepoel from the SA National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence in Limpopo said changing the legal drinking age would not help unless there was tougher law enforcement.
Swanepoel said they were seeing more minors, including 13-year-olds, coming to their facilities to get help with addiction to various substances, especially nyaope. She said it was concerning that teenagers carried on drinking with little or no consequence despite the age requirement.
She said teenagers were drinking alcohol and using drugs, sometimes at school and right under their parents' noses.
"What happens to them if they drink? Nothing happens to them. We need to address this in a different way," Swanepoel said. She said people also needed to be educated on the perils of alcoholism.
Spokeswoman for the provincial department of social development Adele van der Linde said they were concerned with the social impact of underage drinking.
"Young people think it's cool or the "in-thing" to use alcohol, and they soon get caught in a web of substance abuse. Since the use of alcohol reduces inhibition, it further leads to young people leading promiscuous lifestyles, which may lead to STIs and HIV," she said.
She said the department tried through campaigns and various programmes to educate communities on the dangers of substance abuse. "During the department's interaction with communities, we also advocate for liquor outlets and taverns not to be near schools and/or places of worship. However, the department can merely advocate and make suggestions/recommendations in terms of liquor licences," she said. - Zoë Mahopo
mahopoz@sowetan.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos