Participants at the National Alcohol Summit argue that excessive alcohol consumption is increasingly causing harm in society in the form of gender-based violence, road fatalities, health problems and the breakdown of family structures.
The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance in South Africa, which is hosting the summit, is calling for tighter measures to restrict excessive alcohol consumption.
This includes higher taxes, the removal of alcohol advertising and tighter licensing mechanisms.
Chairperson of the alliance Sue Goldstein says alcohol abuse can cause serious health problems.
“We know that with HIV, alcohol is implicated in people not taking their ARVs in unsafe sex, hereby spreading HIV. We know that it’s implicated in TB and TB control. In terms of non-communicable diseases, what people often don’t know is that alcohol causes cancer. And I fail to understand why this hasn’t been more broadly publicised because it causes a number of cancers. It causes hypertension, high blood pressure – in other words, it causes cardiac disease, it causes diabetes. It’s related to a whole range of really bad health conditions.”
WATCH | The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance has kicked off its National Alcohol Summit in Johannesburg to drive action on reducing alcohol-related harm in society. SABC News’ Nompumelelo Siziba has more. pic.twitter.com/BqWVBJ8dqA
— SABC News (@SABCNews) October 1, 2026
