Banning Alcohol Advertising Solves Nothing

A complete ban will inevitably hurt the industry, and those who disagree must ask themselves whether losing jobs in a country where opportunities are already scarce is worth it...

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

The EFF’s Liquor Amendment Bill, which seeks to amend the Liquor Act of 2003 and introduce a complete ban on the advertising of alcohol in South Africa, is a short-sighted and harmful intervention whose impact will be marginal at best in reducing the youth’s consumption of alcohol through less public exposure.

There is no question about the fact that alcohol abuse is a social crisis in our country, but prohibitive legislation – regardless of its moral appeal – will have a negative economic impact on the alcohol industry and fail to address the underlying factors that drive much of the consumption.

There are several countries across the world that have introduced partial or complete bans on alcohol advertising. Some of these include Norway, Lithuania, India, and Ireland. While complete banning in Norway and Lithuania, respectively, has reduced consumption, its success has been overwhelmingly modest and largely contingent on the state’s capacity to enforce the rules.

In India and Ireland, respectively, where partial bans have been implemented, the outcomes have been even less impressive. Consumption rates have declined marginally, while advertising has simply migrated to less regulated channels like social media. What this evidence holistically demonstrates is that the banning of alcohol advertising – whether completely or partially – is no silver bullet. Its success is marginal and largely contingent on state enforcement. It also doesn’t tackle the deeper drivers of alcohol consumption, which I want to examine now in our context.

Before we even pontificate about the youth’s public exposure to alcohol in popular media and how it has contributed to normalisation, we must start in the home, where the problem is far more immediate and real. It should come as no surprise that many young people in our country are first – and consistently exposed – to alcohol in their own homes, where they see parents, relatives, and other adults consuming it in front of them without concern.

Many of the same parents see nothing wrong with sending their children to buy alcohol on their behalf. They also see nothing wrong with leaving it in accessible places where young people can reach it and experiment. If you ask many young people how they started drinking, there’s a good chance that they will mention an uncle who sent them to buy it or a day when they stole a sip while no one was watching.

There is a serious problem in the home environment in South Africa, and no piece of legislation is going to compensate for it.

The second issue we must confront, which is closely linked to the first, is a culture of drinking that is prevalent in many communities across our country. This culture is not just tied to cultural ceremonies, practices, and events that are characterised by song and dance. It is also tied to a twin culture of partying that appeals strongly to young people. Merely banning advertising is not going to transform this culture because it is deeply entrenched and central to how many people live their lives.

The fact that people will no longer see adverts will not stop them from flocking to taverns and shebeens on weekends to party until they become unconscious.

The third major issue concerns the broader social problems in our country – ranging from mental illnesses to unemployment – that drive people into abusing alcohol and other substances. Alcohol abuse is, in many cases, a symptom of social dysfunction.

Young people who have been condemned to a life of unemployment, victims of violence, and those facing hopelessness are often drawn into this lifestyle as a coping mechanism. Describing this problem is not the same as endorsing it. There is a clear difference between excusing a problem and explaining it.

Once again, no ban on advertising will address these deeper drivers of alcohol consumption. Whether adverts exist or not, many people will still reach for a bottle to cope with their circumstances.

I can live with being accused of prioritising profits over young people or overlooking the role of advertising, but a ban is not the solution to a problem that is driven by deeper issues and clearly needs an entirely different approach that is rooted in society taking more responsibility for reimagining and reshaping itself.

As I’ve noted, the economy and potential job losses cannot be ignored. A complete ban will inevitably hurt the industry, and those who disagree must ask themselves whether losing jobs in a country where opportunities are already scarce is worth a policy that will not address the underlying issues.

The EFF is right to be concerned about alcohol abuse, particularly among young people. We all should be because it is a cancer that is eating away at the fabric of our society. But tackling it requires well-thought solutions that address the root causes and not symbolic proposals whose impact will be marginal.

I hope this Bill doesn’t become law, and that the EFF’s tabling of it, at the very least, sparks a national dialogue on how we – rather than the state – can gradually confront this problem and take meaningful responsibility for change.

Ayanda Sakhile Zulu holds a BSocSci in Political Studies from the University of Pretoria and is an intern at the Free Market Foundation.