THE Western Cape government has approved an alcohol-related harms reduction policy green paper that goes beyond the largely sectoral approach that has been followed to date in terms of which policies of one department potentially contend with those from others. The policy is out for public comment before being formulated into legislation and regulations. The provincial government is to be commended for giving due consideration to the complexities of the problem and steps that can be taken to turn things around. It is the first province to formulate a far-reaching policy going beyond a narrow focus on the retail sale of alcohol and microbrewing. While recognising the economic contribution of alcohol to the Western Cape, it indicates that it can’t be business as usual for the liquor sector, including unregulated outlets, as the economic contribution is "dwarfed by the costs of alcohol-related harms". The green paper also understands that alcohol industry profits are dependent on exces...
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