In a major crackdown on alcohol abuse, liquor-outlet owners in the Eastern Cape who sell booze to drunk patrons could be held liable if drunken customers cause harm to others, Dispatch Online reported on Wednesday.
Bingeing boozers also face being monitored when they are out on the town — and may be banned from the province’s pubs and taverns.
These tough new recommendations made to the provincial liquor board are aimed at halting the adverse effects of alcohol in the province.
They follow a study on the socio-economic impact of the liquor industry in the Eastern Cape, by the Pretoria-based company Eco-Mine. It was commissioned by the provincial liquor board last year.
Researchers found that, contrary to the belief that the impoverished Eastern Cape consumes far less than national averages, consumption was in line with national figures, if not slightly higher.
A staggering 900-million litres of alcohol are sold in the province each year. This translates to every adult gulping down over 220 litres of liquor a year, compared to the national average of 200 litres.
At the time the report was compiled last year, 25 244 liquor outlets — only 16% of them with permanent licences ‒- were operating in the Eastern Cape.
The report recommends limiting the number of outlets and cutting down on the hours and days that alcohol can be sold.
It also recommended empowering municipalities to enforce liquor-trading hours and prosecute outlets that sell liquor to under-age customers. Such a crackdown could also bring down crime, said the report. – Sapa