Footage allegedly filmed in the Eastern Cape has sparked calls for arrests, accountability and urgent child protection action.
Religious and community leaders have expressed outrage after a video on social media showed young children drinking alcoholic beer on Christmas Day.
Half a dozen children, some as young as three, were seen swigging from bottles of Flying Fish and dancing around while adults looked on and laughed, but did nothing. The video is suspected to have been shot in a rural area of the Eastern Cape.
In the video, a girl believed to be about 12 is heard talking in isiXhosa, asking why they couldn’t drink during Christmas.
Viral video of children drinking alcohol sparks outrage
South African Council of Churches ( SACC) senior member, the Reverend Luke Dlamini, said: “This is unacceptable. Parents are not allowed to do such.
“They are destroying the lives of these children who are our future leaders. What is happening in the video is shocking, and we all know that it is true.
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“That is why we should act vigorously against this behaviour. I personally know some parents who are also doing the same, so we are urging the community to take a stand against this by alerting the authorities when they see it happening,” said Dlamini.
“We are also calling on all churches and community leaders to start talking about the underage drinking and the alcohol consumption problems so that we can raise awareness about this.
“We hope the public will work with the authorities to fight against this scourge and expose the adults seen in the footage.”
Sharing videos amounts to abuse
Teddy Bear Foundation clinical psychologist Shaheda Omar said giving alcohol to children and especially recording or sharing videos of it has serious physical, social and legal consequences.
Physical implications include the fact that alcohol affects children and teens more strongly than adults because their bodies and brains are still developing, Omar said.
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“Alcohol can interfere with memory, learning, decision-making and emotional control. The brain continues developing into the mid-20s.
“There is a higher risk of alcohol poisoning among children as they have lower tolerance, so even small amounts can cause vomiting, loss of consciousness, breathing problems, or worse.
“In children, alcohol increases accidents, falls, drowning, and other injuries. Early exposure is linked to a higher risk of alcohol dependence later in life. Exposing children to alcohol has negative social implications as it can make alcohol misuse seem acceptable or harmless,” she added.
Videos can encourage others to copy behaviour
Apart from the physical impacts, the videos can encourage others to copy the behaviour.
“Once shared, videos can resurface later. It can damage the child’s sense of safety with adults.”
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While laws vary by country and region, most countries treat providing alcohol to minors as a serious offence, Omar said.
Alcohol use is considered putting a child at risk and there should be fines, criminal records, probation, or jail time in serious cases, so child protection services may get involved.
The distribution or sharing of such videos should be used as evidence, and possible charges related to exploitation, neglect, or distribution of harmful content might be added, she said.
MEC condemns incident
Eastern Cape social development MEC Bukiwe Fanta has condemned the act and said the incident was unacceptable and a serious threat to the children’s health and well-being.
“The video highlights a disturbing trend that must be addressed with urgency. The safety and welfare of our children are paramount and it is the responsibility of every adult to protect them from harmful influences.
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“Allowing children to consume alcohol undermines their development and exposes them to a myriad of dangers, including addiction, health issues and potential legal repercussions. It is troubling to witness adults facilitating such behaviour, which sets a poor example and normalises dangerous actions,” Fanta said, adding her department has mobilised social workers to conduct an investigation into the incident.
Mgwebi Msiya, spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Liquor Board, said they were disappointed by the behaviour.
“We strongly believe that no responsible parent would ever force their children to consume alcohol.”
Underage drinking compromises youth’s future
“Underage drinking compromises the future of our young people in many ways. Many of them drop out of school due to abuse of alcohol. They are also susceptible to various kinds of diseases that may affect their adulthood.
“It is the reason that people under the age of 18 are prohibited from consuming alcohol to give them time to develop and focus on building their future.”
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