The bill proposes banning the supply of liquor and methylated spirits to persons under the age of 21 – up from 18 currently. This includes any and all alcoholic advertisements which are aimed at people under the age of 21.<\/p>\n Addressing parliament about the Bill in October 2016,\u00a0Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies explained that the change was introduced both to curb early on-set alcoholism and to prevent any potential brain-damage as the human brain did not fully develop until the mid-twenties.<\/p>\n According to Minister Davies, South Africa currently has the highest level of alcohol consumption in the world at 10-12% as compared to the world average of 6%, a statement recently confirmed by fact-checking website Africa Check<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n The new bill calls for the prohibition of\u00a0 the manufacturing, distribution or retail sale of liquor in both\u00a0rural and urban communities, on any location that is less than 500 metres away from schools, place of worship, recreational facilities, rehabilitation or treatment centres, residential areas, public institutions and other like amenities.<\/p>\n Manufacturers and suppliers of alcohol to illegal or unlicensed outlets will effectively be liable to all damages caused by their unlawful distribution.<\/p>\n This includes any unlawful conduct, death or injury and\/or the loss of or physical damage to property caused by a person who has been sold alcohol from an illegal distributor.<\/p>\n While legal experts and industry associations have praised the hard-line stance on illegal sellers, they’ve warned it could have serious social and legal repercussions and would negatively impact alcohol sold in townships, which forms a\u00a0significant part of their economies.<\/p>\n Current alcohol advertising prohibits the airing of adverts featuring alcohol between 2pm and 5pm on weekdays and before 12pm on weekends on TV.\u00a0On radio the restrictions are 6am-9am and 2pm-5pm on weekdays and no advertising before 12pm on weekends.<\/p>\n The new Bill will ban all\u00a0alcohol advertisements on radio and TV between 6am and 7pm. In addition it will ban any billboard advertising\u00a0placed less than 100 meters away from junctions, street corners or traffic circles.<\/p>\n Gauteng, the Western Cape and\u00a0KwaZulu-Natal are expected to offer the most\u00a0resistance to the Bill as the provinces have historically\u00a0been given license to issue their own rules and regulations.<\/p>\n Provincial legislators\u00a0have also specifically pointed to the new distribution laws which could be a significant blow to township economies and their shebeen culture. They warn that township communities are still unlikely to follow the new laws and that it would severely impact how government is perceived in these areas.<\/p>\n The Western Cape also tabled its own proposed regulations in September 2016. These are set to include higher prices, tighter trading hours, and a zero-tolerance approach to drinking among new drivers.<\/p>\n The South African Liquor Brand Owners Association\u00a0– which represents producers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers of alcoholic beverages – has offered its own\u00a0national strategic plan to reduce alcohol-related harm, according to a recent report by BusinessDay<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n This includes a R150 million combined annual contribution from members of the association, with a focus on addressing underage drinking, foetal alcohol syndrome disorder, driving under the influence, binge drinking, interpersonal and domestic violence and unlicensed outlets.<\/p>\n This “alternative plan” also features less restrictive advertising rules, following the revelation that the proposed new time-slots and billboard rules would see an estimated\u00a0R2.38 billion loss in\u00a0annual advertising spend by liquor manufacturers and distributors.<\/p>\n It also highlighted the dangers of increasing the drinking age and further criminalisation of illegal alcohol trading which would have “the unintended consequence of shifting the consumption of alcohol from licensed outlets to homes and student residences as well as other areas that are outside the public domain.”<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Teen.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nChanges to where alcohol can be sold<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDamages<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nAdvertising<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nProvincial issues<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nIndustry objections and the alternative plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n