Lifting of liquor sales ban: Most worried
A large proportion of those aged 18 to 34 had bought alcohol under Level 3, with half of them spending up to R500.
Some surprising and sobering results have emerged from a survey on South Africans alcohol consumption since the lifting of the ban on liquor sales at Level 3.
Conducted by Gig technology company M4Jam via mobile devices, the survey saw nearly 5 000 South Africans responding to questions about alcohol consumption under Level 3 lockdown.
According to Georgie Midgley, M4Jam CEO, 38 per cent of the respondents from across all nine provinces said they do not drink alcohol as a rule, which left 3 095 respondents to complete the survey on how they had been experiencing the resumption of legal alcohol sales during lockdown.
Georgie said 64 per cent of those who did drink alcohol said they had bought alcohol legally since the lifting of sales restrictions, and 66 per cent of respondents said they were happy the ban had been lifted. A large proportion of those aged 18 to 34 had bought alcohol under Level 3, with half of them spending up to R500.
“Interestingly, while all provinces scored relatively evenly in terms of who had bought alcohol, with about a third of respondents resuming drinking, the North West province was the most abstinent, with 39 per cent saying they have not bought liquor under Level 3.”
He added that 63 per cent of respondents were drinking one to three times per week under Level 3; however, those who took the survey had some surprising views on whether drinkers were resuming their alcohol habits responsibly. The majority of younger respondents (more than 70 per cent up to the age of 54) said they thought people were not drinking responsibly under Level 3 lockdown.
“Those aged 55 to 64 were the most strident in their criticism, with 84 per cent feeling alcohol was being abused. Still, those older than 65 seemed considerably more relaxed about it, with only 25 per cent worried about responsible drinking.
“What is interesting to note is that 73 per cent of respondents felt that alcohol was not negatively affecting personal lives. Yet, only 35 per cent of respondents said they felt the return of alcohol sales had had a positive impact on their lives.” Furthermore, 76 per cent are worried about their health and safety, and that of their friends and family because of alcohol. Those who have seen negative consequences felt public disturbance (noise and gatherings after hours, 29 per cent), increased violence (domestic and other, 22 per cent) and increased numbers of vehicle accidents (19 per cent) were the main indications. When asked about reinstating the ban, 61 per cent felt it would be a good thing due to the impact on their communities.
“The main reasons are that South Africans seem to be more aware now of the harmful impact on personal lives and communities. 52 per cent of respondents said they believe alcohol is damaging to themselves and others under Level 3, and 74 per cent said the country’s health system does not have the capacity to deal with alcohol-related medical issues in conjunction with Covid-19 cases. 52 per cent of those responding to the survey felt the government had made a mistake by allowing alcohol sales under Level 3 lockdown.”
According to Georgie, while to a certain extent we have to acknowledge that people will inherently put more trust in their ability to manage their own habits, hence the contradiction between those who are happy alcohol can be sold again and those who feel the ban should be put in place again, it is encouraging that so many South Africans are taking a sensible approach to re-engage with alcohol.
Despite only a quarter of South Africans claiming to have directly witnessed the negative consequences associated with alcohol consumption, lockdown restrictions have certainly allowed everyone to take a step back and observe alcohol consumption’s impact on our health system through media reports. It seems most people agree that we should prioritise Covid-19 healthcare provision during this time.”
