By BAKANG MOKOTO
Underage drinking continues to be a challenge across South Africa as the country has the undesirable ranking of being the third-largest consumer of alcohol in Africa and 6th in the world according to the WHO 2018 report.
The statistics revealed that young people in fact start to drink from as young as 10. Now the Northern Cape police in conjunction with the Northern Cape Department of Education embarked on a “Sobriety Is My Responsibility” program to warn young people about the danger of alcohol.
Northern Cape police spokesperson, Capt Olebogeng Tawana said the police in Postmasburg together with the Northern Cape Department of Education engaged with Grade 8 and 9 learners from Blinklip, Ratang Thuto, Postmasburg High School, and Shiloa Academy through this campaign.
“This is an annual campaign, which seeks to address social ills such as substance and alcohol abuse amongst the youth. The campaign kicked started on 6 September 2022 with public speaking on topics of peer pressure in terms of substance abuse and moral regeneration. Learners were adjudicated on aspects of understanding the topics and good presentation skills.
“The campaign is a proactive collaboration of the Postmasburg SAPS, together with the local Community Police Forum (CPF), Anglo American Kolomela Mine, Assmang Beeshoek Mine, Sedibeng Mine, Rufco Engineering, Northern Cape Liquor Board, and Liquor Traders Forum, Postmasburg Neighborhood Watch, Rhino Security including NKS Security and Tsantsabane Local Municipality,” he said.
Tawana further said, the campaign was preceded with a multi-disciplinary static roadblock on R325 on 7 September 2022 to address crimes such as transportation of illicit goods, stock theft, illegal possession of firearms, human trafficking, undocumented persons, and motorists who are violating the road traffic act.
He added that, the roadblock was manned by Postmasburg Visible Policing members, Tsantsabane Local Municipality Traffic Officers, Home Affairs Immigration Officers, Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit members including the municipal speaker, and Northern Cape Liquor Board officials.
The Northern Cape Police acting Deputy Commissioner, Brigadier Hennie van Rensburg addressed the police during a parade prior to executing their duties.
“Traffic fines to the value of R15 000 were issued to motorists and high police visibility yielded positive results. Three suspects were arrested for dealing in drugs and violating the Immigration Act.
“The police also conducted compliance inspections at taverns and liquor outlets in Danielskuil, Lime Acres, and Postmasburg, with the focus on enforcing the Northern Cape Liquor Act. The campaign was wrapped up on 10 September 2022 with a five-kilometer fun run by learners from local schools in Postmasburg,” said Tawana.
Meanwhile, the Aware.org Underage Drinking Campaign ambassador, Kabelo Mabalane said: “I felt it was important to lend my voice to this important issue because of my own challenges with alcohol and my role as a parent of growing children. I realised the importance for us as a society to be extremely vigilant, especially caregivers.
“Over the years, I’ve been invited to several interventions and when I point out to parents that they are enabling their children’s behaviour, the realisation is shocking for them. With its new underage drinking awareness campaign informed by research and a comprehensive marketing campaign, aware.org is changing the underage drinking is tackled.”
Mabalane said the campaign is built on the insight that people’s first exposure to alcohol is usually at a young age and enabled by parents and other caregivers. He said it hinges on a hard-hitting television commercial supported by digital, above the line and public relations efforts, with the tagline ‘Underage drinking starts long before it begins.
The Guardian 