Durban — Non-profit organisations have encouraged parents to play a more consistent role in helping to fight against alcohol abuse among the student youth of South Africa.
According to Aware.org, an NPO dedicated to promoting responsible drinking and reducing alcohol harm in South Africa, research findings showed that the youth were drinking from as young as 13 years.
“One in two South African teenagers use alcohol, with 50% of learners indicating that they have consumed alcohol at some stage.”
The organisation said this has been prevalent through the notable increase in the number of underage students who have developed a taste for alcohol, thereby giving rise to underage drinking.
“A beverage that has taken popularity and is often smuggled into class by the learners is a 20ml shot that retails for less than R15, and ice lollies made from a popular frozen alcoholic cider.”
According to Zonke Shazi-Hlongwane, the chairperson of Ikusasa Ngelami, an NPO dealing with the development of young people and parents, there were various issues affecting the youth that contributed to underage drinking, including parents/guardians who drink excessively.
“In order to cope with the above issues, young people resort to drinking alcohol, even though most of the time they call it having fun, but it is a coping mechanism in dealing with pain and trauma and sometimes imitation of role models,” said Shazi-Hlongwane.
She said firm house rules on no alcohol and being good role models were some of the things parents could do to curb the problem.
Chairperson of the Sisonke Liquor Traders Association, Brush Mncadi, said liquor traders could play a role in fighting the problem.
He said that the responsibility to address the problem should include parents, who ought to monitor how their children’s pocket money was spent.
Vee Gani, chairperson for the Parents’ Association in KwaZulu-Natal, called on schools to take action by applying the school code of conduct if there are any violations by students.
Gani also called on parents to keep a watchful eye on their children.
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