Opposition to lifting the drinking age to 21

Obed Bapela wants to see the legal age for alcohol consumption being lifted to 21. Image: GCIS

The Association for Responsible Alcohol Use's spokesman Michael Mabasa said increasing the age limit could possibly infringe on the constitutional rights of individuals to freedom of choice.

"As the industry association, we are not convinced that raising the alcohol age limit from 18 to 21 [would] have any impact on alcohol consumption patterns," Mabasa said.

"In South Africa, you are regarded as an adult at the age of 18 - you get the opportunity to vote for the first time, you qualify to get a driver's licence, you also get an opportunity to sign your own contracts," he said.

Mabasa was responding to recent calls by Deputy Minister in the Presidency Obed Bapela, to raise the age limit for alcohol consumption.

Decision from Cabinet due soon

Bapela said the Cabinet is due to make a decision soon regarding the passing of a new law prohibiting the sale of use of alcohol by anyone under the age of 21.

Mabasa said: "We have not seen any evidence that alcohol abuse is particularly prevalent between the ages of 18 and 21. The big problem we have in South Africa is under-age drinking.

Constitutional law expert and IFP MP Mario Oriani-Ambrosini said the debate came down to what was reasonable.

"One of the arguments, constitutionally, is that you cannot take [away] a right that you have," Oriani-Ambrosini said.

"From a policy viewpoint, anyone who doesn't understand that prohibition doesn't work has nothing between his ears," he added.

Social Development Department spokesman Lumka Oliphant said increasing the age limit was part of a programme of action adopted in 2010 between the president and cabinet ministers to meet specific performance goals.

The Presidency was unavailable for comment and the Department of Health referred all queries to the Department of Social Development.

Source: Sowetan via I-Net Bridge