ALCOHOL'S LEGAL DRINKING AGE COULD BE RAISED

If certain members of parliament have their way, the legal drinking age in South Africa will be raised in the near future.

Business Insider reports that policymakers are considering new – permanent – restrictions on the alcohol industry. These have been inspired by recommendations and data derived from the temporary bans on alcohol sales imposed to combat Covid-19.

Some of the ideas that cabinet would like to look at include the banning of alcohol advertising as well as raising the drinking age.

The current legal drinking age in South Africa is 18 years old. This specific age gap has been at the centre of the second wave that South Africa experienced over the last few months following the matric rage holidays in places like Plettenberg Bay and Ballito.

The alcohol bans experienced over the last 11 months have proven to lighten the load at hospitals due to alcohol-related violence. It is believed that gender based violence stats have also declined during the alcohol bans.

With the new figures supporting this notion, many believe that it’s just a matter of time before the legal drinking age is raised.

The United States has a legal drinking age of 21, with Canada at 19-years-old. Most European countries stipulate 18 as their legal drinking age.

Image credit: The Washington Post