Focus question: The effects of sin taxable products on the South Africa’s economy and their impact

Alcoholism is one of the most intractable and pervasive psychological disorders known. Though the negative health consequences of alcohol are widely understood, and, if anything, the social consequences of alcoholism are even more widely acknowledged, it seems that no matter what steps are taken by public health officials or private organizations, no strategy can ever be fully developed for eradicating alcoholism. There are a number of reasons why this is true. This paper will explore some of the social and medical problems created by alcohol, but in it I will also consider the role of alcohol in my personal life and the way I have seen the disease play out in the lives of people around me. The paper will also examine the social and political responses to the problem of alcoholism and attempt to determine where productive approaches have been taken and areas where mistakes have been made. Before discussing such wide-ranging questions, it is important to understand what alcoholism is and how it is manifested.

These days there are a number of social issues in the community, such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is rampant in today’s society, Australian Drug Foundation states that, “Alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive, or mood-changing, recreational drug in Australia.”(Healey, 2002, p. 11). Underage drinking and binge drinking are some of the problems associated with alcohol abuse.

Alcohol is the most abused licit psychoactive drugs that affect one 's ability to think rationally and distorts their judgement if consumed excessively. Alcohol addiction is an illness arising from prolonged and excessive intake of alcoholic drinks. An alcoholic is a person suffering from alcohol addiction. Prolonged excessive use of large quantities can eventually lead to chronic health diseases like cirrhosis of the liver, anaemia, cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression seizures, gout and alcohol related accidents and crime. Statistics show that 9 million people in England drink more than the recommended daily intake while an estimated 8.697 died of alcohol-related deaths in 2014. According to the WHO worldwide alcohol causes 1.8 million deaths (3.2% of total) and 58.3 million (4% of total) of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Alcohol beverages with varied percentage content are consumed globally during religious, social, cultural events, festivals and other occasions. The use of alcoholic beverages has been an integral part of many cultures for thousands of years (McGovern, 2009). Over the centuries, there have been ongoing measures, research, interventions and policies which are aimed at promoting the moderate use of alcohol with a particular emphasis on preventing or reducing undesired outcomes. This essay will outline the key components of brief interventions in alcohol, the difference in approach with traditional methods of treatment and in conclusion, the

Alcohol use has spanned history. In fact, there is speculation that alcohol use actually preceded the formation of societies (Doweiko, 2015, p. 30). Thus, alcohol has long been a part of mankind’s life. The function of alcohol has unarguably changed throughout the course of history, as it was first used for nutritional purposes and then later on for religious purposes (Doweiko, 2015, p. 32). Today, alcohol serves a social purpose. In the United States, the prevalence of use is quite high, with just over 50% of the population partaking monthly (Doweiko, 2015, p. 34). This statistic is somewhat alarming considering alcohol use comes with a number of potential adverse consequences. Case in point, even

Alcoholism is a problem experienced in many societies and covers issues associated with intake of alcohol (Schneider, 1978). In most cases, it is used to refer to addictive and uncontrolled use or abuse of alcohol such that the health, relationships and social status of a person is eroded. Due to its negative effects on users, it is considered as a bad practice in the society. Alcoholism is contributed by many social issues concerning users as well as society and is largely accepted as a social deviance behavior. However, according to Schneider (1992), deviant drinking has been

According to the Dual Diagnosis website, “In 2012, as many as 87.6 percent of American adults over age 18 were reported in a SAHMSA…study to have consumed alcohol at some point in their lives…The National Institutes of Health…estimated that 17 million adults in the United States in 2012 had an alcohol use disorder” (“Disease…”). Approximately one in every 12 people either are abusing alcohol, or they are becoming, if not are, victims of alcoholism (National…). Alcohol consumption is especially known in our society’s culture. There are numerous people who like to drink every now and again in moderation; however, there are far too many people who abuse the alcohol and may even be completely dependent on it. Several

Alcohol Abuse in Australian teenagers has become an ever-growing epidemic nationwide, in particular teens aged between 14 and 17 years of age. This health issue not only has detrimental effects on teenagers but also has devastating effects on people of all ages all throughout their lives. Developing positive drinking habits at a young age is paramount to avoid alcohol related deaths and illnesses. Resounding statistics show that each year alcohol accounts for 13 per cent of all deaths

At the beginning of the 21st century, it was estimated that the annual number of deaths related to excessive drinking exceeded 100,000 in the United States alone (“Alcoholism”). In fact, in 1995, 140 million Americans were using alcohol is an abusing way (Ammerman, Ott, and Tarter). “It is a chronic and progressive illness that involves the excessive inappropriate ingestion of ethyl alcohol” (“Alcoholism”). Equally, it can be characterized as an emotional and many times, physical dependence on alcohol. It is thought to come from a combination of a wide range of physiological, social, and genetic factors (“Alcoholism”). Even

The Public Health issue being discussed in this study is binge drinking as well as underage drinking. Binge drinking can be defined as the excess consumption of alcoholic beverages which is considered more than five drinks for men and more than four drinks for women. Several public health issues also arise from binge drinking itself such as, drunk driving and violence. Binge drinking especially while underage can affect health because it can affect the cognitive brain development which may have life long effects. Aside from affecting development binge drinking can put youth at risk for physical/ and or sexual assault and makes youth more vulnerable to engage in unprotected sex which can lead to the transmission of STDs or unwanted pregnancy. Binge drinking can also lead to death due to alcohol poisoning and

Binge drinking is defined as people drinking plenty of alcohol in a short period of time or get drunk (NHS, 2014). In other words, binge drinking is drinking alcohol lead blood alcohol concentration (BAC) equal to or over 0.08g/dL. It means that when men drink more than 5 units of drinks and women have over 4 units of alcohol in around 2 hours is binge drinking.(NIH News,2014)Nowadays, binge drinking have a large proportion among youths in the UK, which lead to the health problems to them. In this essay, it will show the situation of adolescents of binge drinking in the UK and the health problems to them. Also, the campaigns did by the Department of Health and the Alcohol Concern. Moreover, evaluates the utility of those to help the youths.

Youth is the time of life when one is young, but often means the time between childhood and adulthood. The amount of youth that consume alcohol in dangerous amounts is alarming. In a 2013 study, it was shown that 18.2% of people 14 and older drank excessive amounts of alcohol that exceeded the national recommended alcohol serving and 26% of those people drank excessive amounts of alcohol at least once a month (NHMRC, 2015) . Binge drinking can be defined as ‘the consumption of an excessive amount of alcohol in a short period of time.’ Binge drinking is a large social issue (GreenFacts, 2016) that affects not only the individual but the community and can have negative effects on mental health, physical health, emotional health and social health. Binge drinking increases the risk of many health issues such as: road accidents, domestic abuse, crime, disease, public violence and can contribute to social dysfunction and relationship issues (Drinkwise Australia, 2016). The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) released a report that stated that one in five high school girls engage in binge drinking. There are many factors that could contribute to adolescent binge drinking such as peer pressure, family attitudes, social status and the culture surrounding alcohol. There are many risks involved with binge drinking (details in appendix 1). One problem associated with binge drinking is physical violence that occurs when under the influence of alcohol and around 40% of all

South Africa has one of the highest rates of alcohol related road deaths in the world— where 58% of deaths are due to intoxication .

South Africa has the largest population of people living with HIV/ AIDS. In 2016, South Africa had an estimated 7.1 million people living with HIV/ AIDS [1]. This epidemic has ripple effects across micro & macro–levels of the economy. HIV/AIDS negatively impacts labor supply, total labor productivity & exports among other economic channels. Given the significant impact this disease has on the economy, this is a top priority for the business community and the government.

“In our society, drinking is a big problem,” said William Ntakuka, program officer for SCAD, a Kenya-based nonprofit organization that campaigns against alcohol and drug abuse. “It’s bad, and it’s getting worse” (Evans, 2015)

Sin taxes are a controversial method of excise taxes by the state, which have been subject to numerous discussions, debates, and policy considerations. They are regressive in nature, but do generate substantial government revenue (Lorenzi, 2004:64-65). This essay will firstly define what “sins” are, followed by an explanation of their characteristics. Arguments for and against the implementation of these excise taxes will be contrasted thereafter. The essay will conclude with the argument of the state in its paternalistic nature, specifically as to whether or not the state has the authority to make decisions on behalf of consumers with regard to choices which restrict their quality of life. In every argument, the issue of equity and efficiency will be addressed in concurrence with the increase of the sin tax in the South African National Budget.