Let’s Talk About Alcohol Use. It’s Not Just an Adult Problem

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and this isn’t just a grown-up issue. When adults drink heavily, children and teenagers carry the weight. In South Africa, alcohol misuse doesn’t only cost money, it costs safety, dignity and sometimes lives. That’s why, as part of the Hold My Hand campaign, we’re lifting the lid on how alcohol harms children and teens, and how we can all do something about it.

When alcohol comes home, children feel it

A short, moving video shared by the Philani Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition Trust shows just how deeply children are affected by alcohol in their homes. In the video, a young girl shares the consequences children suffer when adults around them are drinking.  This is the reality for many children across South Africa: Watch the video here.

Alcohol misuse: South Africa’s silent emergency

Alcohol use is often framed as an adult choice. But its impacts fall heavily on kids. Research shows that:

• Violence against children is strongly linked to alcohol misuse by adults, especially in the home.
• Teenagers are drinking too, often as a way to cope, fit in or escape.
• Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are among the highest in the world in South Africa.
• Heavy drinking fuels car crashes, drownings, unsafe sex, and crime – all of which children are exposed to or affected by.
  

The DG Murray Trust (DGMT) initiated the Alcohol Harms Reduction Campaign , recently rebranded to Rethink Your Drink, to raise awareness about the harmful effects of heavy drinking on South African society and the economy. Their research indicates that while the liquor industry contributes approximately around 3% of total GDP' compared to 10-12% of GDP in costs, annually to the fiscus, the harmful effects of heavy drinking cost the country much more in both direct and indirect costs.

Philani’s work in training and community support highlights just how embedded alcohol is in daily life – and how dangerous that can be. Their alcohol harm reduction training tools help health workers and caregivers have honest conversations and take practical steps to reduce harm. Check out their LinkedIn post here.

What’s being done?

South Africa has seen multiple delays in adopting stronger alcohol laws, largely due to pressure from the liquor industry. A recent study highlighted how regulatory capture has stalled progress on the Liquor Amendment Bill – a key piece of legislation that could save lives if enacted properly (Mitchell et al., 2025).

But there’s hope.

Internationally, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends three cost-effective evidence-based “best buys” for alcohol policy:

1. Increase alcohol taxes
2. Limit when and where alcohol can be sold
3. Ban alcohol advertising, sponsorship and promotions
   

Movendi International, a global voice for alcohol policy reform, has shown that these actions work. For example, Wales implemented Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) and saw a clear drop in the purchase and consumption of high-strength alcohol.

What can we do differently in South Africa?

Protecting children and teens by reducing heavy drinking has been identified as a national priority that needs an urgent all-of-society response.

Here’s what that could look like:

• Tighter regulation of alcohol outlets, especially near schools and community spaces.
• Advocacy for updated legislation including minimum unit pricing to reduce binge drinking of cheap alcohol, and restricting alcohol advertising
• Public education campaigns using voices of children, like the Philani video, to shift social norms.
• Support for caregivers and parents, with tools that offer practical alternatives to alcohol use.
• Community-driven change, where neighbourhoods hold each other accountable and support safer, healthier behaviours.

Let’s hold their hands, not a drink

South Africa’s children are watching us. More than that, they are asking us to change. Alcohol harm isn’t just a personal issue. It’s a community one. It’s a systems one. And it’s a child protection one.

As we mark Alcohol Awareness Month this April, let’s listen to our children. Let’s challenge the idea that alcohol use is “normal” or “harmless”. And let’s start building the kind of homes, schools and streets where no child has to feel unsafe.

Useful links & resources

• Alcohol Harms Reduction Campaign
• Alcohol harm training resources (Philani)
• Movendi International: WHO Alcohol Policy “Best Buys”
• Health-e News: Government to raise alcohol tax – why it matters
• GroundUp: How industry lobbying delays alcohol reform

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