Half of SA teens drink alcohol

2012-02-14 22:36

Johannesburg - SA Breweries (SAB) has partnered with government and a youth agency to launch a campaign that tackles underage drinking, the company said on Tuesday.

"Statistics indicate that one out of every two teenagers in the average South African home is a user of alcohol," SAB corporate affairs director Vincent Maphai said in a statement.

"We view this as unacceptable, and so we have partnered with government on a programme that we believe will effect real change amongst South Africa's youth."

The launch of the You Decide campaign took place in Phoenix, Durban, on Tuesday and was hosted by KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Senzo Mchunu.

SAB joined with the department of trade and industry, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and provincial departments of education to enact the campaign.

NYDA chairperson Andile Lungisa said the agency took "the national scourge of underage drinking very seriously".

"That is why we have decided to join hands with SAB to confront head-on one of the biggest challenges that the country faces today," he said.

The campaign will include an interactive roadshow on underage drinking, an inter-school competition, several school lessons and a guide for parents.

It also has several resources for teens including counselling, reading material, a website, a Facebook page and an interactive game.

The game, which runs in selected schools in and around Durban until March 22, makes use of a number of different platforms ranging from traditional to social media.

- SAPA