Alcohol

is the third largest contributor to death and disability after unsafe sex and interpersonal violence… Civil society and the community in general need to become less apathetic about alcohol abuse.

National spend on alcohol and widespread alcohol abuse makes South Africans vulnerable to victimisation, increases violent conflict, entrenches poverty and contributes to child abuse and neglect.

By engaging in issues such as enforcement, the reduction of alcohol outlets, alternative entrepreneurial activities and opportunities for retailers, urban planning and other strategies that encourage consumers to make better spending choices, South Africans can contribute to a significant reduction in crime.

BIG IDEA 1: Facilitate greater community ownership of the alcohol environment in our communities.

BIG IDEA 2: Formation of a single body: an Alcohol Health Promotion Foundation to action a national campaign to improve alcohol health at various levels in society.

Crime in South Africa

Crime is a major issue in South Africa, with "contact" crimes (such as murder, rape, assault, and robbery) accounting for a third of the over two million cases of crime reported per year. While the incidence of all contact crimes showed a decrease between 2007/8 as compared to 2006/7, the incidence of violent crime remains unacceptably high (South African Police Services, 2008). For example, the murder rate per 100 000 for South Africa is 39 per 100 000, ranking seventh highest out of 117 countries for which data are currently available (Wikipedia, 2008).

Alcohol and the associated burden in South Africa

It has been estimated that the per capita consumption of alcohol in South Africa is between 10.3 and 12.4 litres per drinker, with the higher level reflecting the amount including homebrewed alcohol (Parry, 2005). This gives South Africa one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption per drinker anywhere in the world (Rehm et al., 2004). Alcohol has been found to be the third largest contributor to death and disability in this country accounting for over 7% of all years of life lost through death or living with a disability (Schneider, Norman, Parry, et al., 2007). The three largest contributors to the burden specifically related to alcohol include homicide and violence (40% of alcohol's burden), alcohol use disorders (15%) and road traffic injuries (15%).

Data on the alcohol-crime/injury nexus in South Africa

Over the past 10 to 12 years there has been a wealth of data coming out of South Africa indicating a very strong association between alcohol, crime, violence, and injury:

• The link between alcohol and shebeens and violence (especially murder) was identified in a study undertaken by the South African Police Service in the Western Cape in 1996. Among other things, it was reported that in 64% of cases in which the motive was known, and in 24% of cases in which the circumstances surrounding the murder were known, the crime had been committed after an argument and/or during a fight at or near a shebeen in which alcohol was involved (South African Police Service, 1997).

• In a docket analysis finalised by the South African Police Service in 2001, it was noted that 9.1% (37/408) of child sexual offence cases in the Western Cape Province involved an offender under the influence of alcohol. This compared to 3.8% nationally (127/3326) (Crime Information Analysis Centre, personal communication).

• In 2001 39% of trauma patients in Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth had breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs) greater than or equal to 0.05g/100 ml (Plüddemann et al., 2004). Levels of alcohol positivity were particularly high for persons injured as a result of violence (73% for Port Elizabeth, 61% for Cape Town and 43% for Durban).

• In 2003 the Institute for Security Studies also undertook a national victim survey of persons who were victims of serious assault and reported high levels of alcohol intoxication. In 40% of cases victims believed that the assailant was under the influence of alcohol or other drugs at the time of the assault, and a third of victims conceded to having been under the influence themselves at the time of the assault (Omar, 2004).

• Among adolescents, alcohol consumption has also been found to be associated with both the perpetration of violent acts and being victimised. For example, Morojele and Brook (2006) found among adolescents in Cape Town and Durban that the more frequently they consumed alcohol, the more violent acts they reported having experienced.