SAAPABotswana Condemns Alcohol Sale at Football Stadiums

SAAPA Botswana  and   its  allies   in  the   endeavor  to  reduce alcohol   related  harm  are   deeply disappointed by the recent, ill-informed decision by Botswana Football  League (BFL) to now allow alcohol sales  at football matches. This decision  comes  at a time  when  the  country has undersigned the  Global Alcohol  Action  Plan  2022  – 2030  to accelerate evidence-based policy, legislation and programmes to reduce alcohol  attributable harm.

According to the WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health of 2018,  Botswana  is among the highest drinking countries in  the  world  with  adult per  capita  alcohol  consumption (APC) of 8.4 litres of pure  alcohol  per annum which  is over  the average APC of Africa at 6.3 litres. About a third of Botswana’s population drinks alcohol  with  about 60%  being  heavy episodic drinkers  j people drinking alcohol  at harmful levels.

Research shows that  there is a correlation between prevalence of harmful alcohol  consumption and  cases  of alcohol related harms. These  include  but  not limited to: car  crush  related deaths & injuries, GBV, teenage pregnancy compounding the resource scarcity for the already overwhelmed health sector. The  report further shows that  in every  100  000  people  in Botswana 90  die from liver cirrhosis, 197 road traffic injuries and 90 cancer attribute to alcohol.

Botswana  is already having a  challenge of  very  limited youth   friendly (particularly underage children) recreational centers. This  move  will  make  soccer stadiums less  friendly to  the  non­ drinking populace and  increase children’s exposure to alcohol advertisi ng. I nternational eviden ce shows that   alcohol   advertising  influences early   experimentation  and   the  amount  of  alcohol  consumed in any one session leading to binge drinking.

Allowing  the  advertising, sale  and  consumption of alcohol  at  soccer  stadium s during games will indiscriminately  expose  the   vulnerable groups  of  our   society  to  the   drinking  lifestyle   and normalize it thus  recruiting the youth  and women into drinking.

After a span  of years leading Africa particularly the Southern region  as a champion of progressive alcohol policies  and  legislation, Botswana has  been  making  a  number of changes which  undo  its

policy  progress and  reputation.  This  announcement by BFL forms part of a series of regressive actions that  the  government and  its development partners have  embarked on.   Such include the

2018  relaxation of alcohol trading hours, the reduction of alcohol levy, lifting  of the ban on alcohol marketing and sponsorship in sports, partnership between the Min istry of Health and  KBL and  the most  recent being  UNDP partnership with  KBL. With  the  current noted  actions, it is evident that those  entrusted  with   the   responsibility  to   make   policy   have   totally  lost   bala nce  between promotion of profit and protecting the health of the society they serve.

SAAPA Botswana acknowledges  the   challenges of  mobilizing resources  and  sponsorship that organizations perusing endeavors towards human development experience. We took tobacco out of sports. We can take alcohol  out of sports as well and still strive. We therefore call for:

1.  The   Minister  of  Sport,   Gender   Youth   and   Culture   to   reinstate  the   ban   on   sports sponsorship, marketing and consumption of alcohol  at sporting activities.

2.   BFL to  retract its  decision  to  contribute to the  country’s drinking problems by exploring other progressive means of mobilizing resources and  attracting spectators to attend and support games.

3.   As Botswana is undergoing the  review  of the  Liquor  Act this  will be the  most  opportu ne

time for the Ministry of Trade to show  its commitment to sustainable and  responsible trade and  put on the revised law clauses that  will limit harmful availability of alcohol

4.   BFL should add  its voice to the  call for development of Corporate Social Responsibility law that  will help  to mobilize and create a framework for funding of charitable work and sports in the country without the  marketing value for industries.

5.   Ministry  of Youth,  Gender,  Sports and  Culture should   partner with  other ministries and

whole   of  government      to  tackle     alcohol  harm,   build   consensus around  policy   and implement evidence-based programming.

Thank  you.

#RegulateAlcoholforHealth

Signed by:

Prisca Mokgadi

BOTSWANA
Gaborone, Botswana    

SAAPA Botswana Chairperson

Contact  Person

Jerry  Moloko

In-Country Liaison  Person jrmoloko@gmail.com

+267 72407433

Aadielah Maker Diedericks

Secretary General aadielah.maker-diedericks@ saapa.africa