On average the country spends about R400 million a day on alcohol, reportsCape {town} Etc. eNCAreports that in the days leading up to New Year’s Eve that figure rose to more than R1 billion a day. Kashifa Ancer of advocacy group Rethink Your Drink toldEWNcompanies use aggressive marketing and bulk-buying deals to push people to buy more.
She said those offers lead some customers to drink more than they normally would. Experts warn the short-term gain for retailers has a long tail. A major costing study found thatalcohol-related harm accounted for an estimated 10 to 12 percent of South Africa’s 2009 gross domestic product (SciELO). The study included both tangible and intangible costs such as hospital care and lost productivity.
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