Prohibiting alcohol sales during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has positive effects on health services in South Africa
As the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic evolves globally, we are realising its impact on communities from the disease itself and the measures being taken to limit infection spread. In South Africa (SA), 62 300 adults die annually from alcohol-attributable causes. Alcohol-related harm can...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2020-07-01
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| Series: | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/2528 |
| _version_ | 1811225618781569024 |
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| author | Hermann Reuter Louis S. Jenkins Marischka De Jong Steve Reid Michael Vonk |
| author_facet | Hermann Reuter Louis S. Jenkins Marischka De Jong Steve Reid Michael Vonk |
| author_sort | Hermann Reuter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic evolves globally, we are realising its impact on communities from the disease itself and the measures being taken to limit infection spread. In South Africa (SA), 62 300 adults die annually from alcohol-attributable causes. Alcohol-related harm can be reduced by interventions, such as taxation, government monopolising retail sales, outlet density restriction, hours of sales and an advertising ban. To mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, SA instituted a lockdown that also prohibited alcohol sales. This led to a sharp reduction in unnatural deaths in the country from 800–1000/week to around 400/week during the lockdown. We reviewed three 2-week periods at a large rural regional hospital: Before Covid-19 (February), during social distancing (March) and during lockdown with alcohol ban (April). A dramatic drop in patient numbers from 145 to 64 (55.8%) because of assault, from 207 to 83 (59.9%) because of accidents, from 463 to 188 (59.4%) because of other injuries and from 12 to 1 (91.6%) because of sexual assaults was observed during the first 2 weeks of lockdown. As healthcare professionals, we need to advocate for the ban to remain until the crisis is over to ensure that health services can concentrate on Covid-19 and other patients. We encourage other African states to follow suit and implement alcohol restrictions as a mechanism to free up health services. We see this as an encouragement to lobby for a new normal around alcohol sales after the pandemic. The restrictions should focus on all evidence-based modalities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:10:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5a0936c0e1674c2784007bf00b8e3e5e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2071-2928 2071-2936 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T09:10:25Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-5a0936c0e1674c2784007bf00b8e3e5e2022-12-22T03:39:00ZengAOSISAfrican Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine2071-29282071-29362020-07-01121e1e410.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2528748Prohibiting alcohol sales during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has positive effects on health services in South AfricaHermann Reuter0Louis S. Jenkins1Marischka De Jong2Steve Reid3Michael Vonk4Primary Health Care Directorate, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape TownPrimary Health Care Directorate, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; and, Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa; and, George Hospital, Garden Route District, Western Cape Department of Health, GeorgeDepartment of Family and Emergency Medicine, George Hospital, Garden Route District, Western Cape Department of Health, GeorgePrimary Health Care Directorate, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape TownGeorge Hospital, Garden Route District, Western Cape Department of Health, GeorgeAs the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic evolves globally, we are realising its impact on communities from the disease itself and the measures being taken to limit infection spread. In South Africa (SA), 62 300 adults die annually from alcohol-attributable causes. Alcohol-related harm can be reduced by interventions, such as taxation, government monopolising retail sales, outlet density restriction, hours of sales and an advertising ban. To mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, SA instituted a lockdown that also prohibited alcohol sales. This led to a sharp reduction in unnatural deaths in the country from 800–1000/week to around 400/week during the lockdown. We reviewed three 2-week periods at a large rural regional hospital: Before Covid-19 (February), during social distancing (March) and during lockdown with alcohol ban (April). A dramatic drop in patient numbers from 145 to 64 (55.8%) because of assault, from 207 to 83 (59.9%) because of accidents, from 463 to 188 (59.4%) because of other injuries and from 12 to 1 (91.6%) because of sexual assaults was observed during the first 2 weeks of lockdown. As healthcare professionals, we need to advocate for the ban to remain until the crisis is over to ensure that health services can concentrate on Covid-19 and other patients. We encourage other African states to follow suit and implement alcohol restrictions as a mechanism to free up health services. We see this as an encouragement to lobby for a new normal around alcohol sales after the pandemic. The restrictions should focus on all evidence-based modalities.https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/2528covid-19alcoholrestrictionstraumaemergency centresreductions |
| spellingShingle | Hermann Reuter Louis S. Jenkins Marischka De Jong Steve Reid Michael Vonk Prohibiting alcohol sales during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has positive effects on health services in South Africa African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine covid-19 alcohol restrictions trauma emergency centres reductions |
| title | Prohibiting alcohol sales during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has positive effects on health services in South Africa |
| title_full | Prohibiting alcohol sales during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has positive effects on health services in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Prohibiting alcohol sales during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has positive effects on health services in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prohibiting alcohol sales during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has positive effects on health services in South Africa |
| title_short | Prohibiting alcohol sales during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has positive effects on health services in South Africa |
| title_sort | prohibiting alcohol sales during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has positive effects on health services in south africa |
| topic | covid-19 alcohol restrictions trauma emergency centres reductions |
| url | https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/2528 |
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