Tavern tragedy reinforces need to give priority to tackling underage drinking in South Africa

By Charles Parry, Director, Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drug Research Unit, SAMRC, South African Medical Research Council
Jason Bantjes, Chief Specialist Scientist in Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council

On 26 June 2022, 21 young people died at the Enyobeni tavern in East London, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. The incident refocused public attention on the safety of young people in the country.

The direct cause of the 21 deaths has not yet been determined. But questions are being asked about why children under the age of 18 were consuming alcohol in the tavern.

Questions about teenage alcohol consumption are particularly pertinent given how…

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