One in seven adults admits to being binge-drinkers‚ but economists say the problem is likely to be much worse.
Based on admissions in a survey of 20‚000 adults‚ UCT researchers say 4.8 billion alcoholic drinks were consumed in 2014/15. But in the same period‚ the South African Revenue Service collected excise duties on four times as many drinks.
And an evaluation in 2017 found that only 14.6% of alcohol consumption was accounted for in admissions during the National Income Dynamics Study.
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Nicole Vellios and Corné van Walbeek‚ from the University of Cape Town’s Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit‚ say the huge drinking problem revealed in their research strengthens the argument for “strong‚ evidence-based policies that reduce the detrimental effects of alcohol use”.
Writing in the January edition of the South African Medical Journal‚ they say: “The alcohol industry argues that it does not encourage harmful use of alcohol. Since a very large proportion of alcohol consumed in South Africa is consumed hazardously‚ with associated detrimental consequences‚ the … industry’s statements sound hollow‚ since they depend on these drinkers for profits.”
