Residents of Glen Hills in Kwadukuza are concerned about cheap alcohol “popsicles” that are being sold to schoolchildren at local shebeens and tuckshops.
Roney Gurusamy, Ward 13 (Glen Hills) Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson, said the 100 ml sachets – which looked like “popsicles” - contained either vodka, brandy, or rum and had alcohol levels of up to 43%. That is equivalent to a 750ml bottle of alcohol.
It is believed that some of these sachets are locally made, while others are labelled as being manufactured in various African countries, including Ghana.
The POST team visited the area last week and found that the sachets were sold at a number of taverns, shebeens, and tuckshops for between R9 and R15.
Several empty sachets were also found on the road, including outside a school.
Gurusamy said they were concerned about the impact on the community, especially the children.
“We have been receiving complaints from residents since last year about these sachets, which are being sold to children at the local shebeens and tuckshops. While alcohol is not supposed to be sold to those under 18, these owners don’t care.
“When we approached some of these places, we were told that the taverns are selling them, so they can as well. The CPF is working closely with the local police to get the shebeens shut down, but it is a growing problem. We have four licensed taverns in the area and about 100 shebeens. Everyday there is a new one popping up,” he said.
Gurusamy said they were also worried about the sachets infiltrating schools.
“It is so easy to peel off the label and it looks like a water sachet. If a child had to drink a sachet alone, they could get sick or even worse, die. We need to get these sachets off our streets. We initially had a problem with whoonga, but this has now taken over. We will continue in our strides to address this issue,” he said.
Lorna Kermraj, whose son is in Grade 11, said she was concerned that he could unknowingly drink it.
“A child could bring it to school mixed with juice, in a juice bottle and offer it to others. It is very worrying that it has become so easy to buy and cheap. Our children’s lives are being compromised and we need it off our streets now,” she said.
A grandmother, who declined to be named, said she was concerned after empty sachets were seen outside her nine-year-old grandson’s primary school.
“We don’t want this to be sold in the area. The police need to close down these shebeens and arrest those responsible for endangering our children’s lives.”
Charles Williamson, a co-opted governing body member at a secondary school, said the craze was spreading fast in the area and schools.
“We are really worried about the long- term impact on the children. Will they even have a future? Children want to experiment and with it being so cheap, they are buying it, without realising the consequences.
“We are calling on children not to fall for peer pressure, and parents to guide their children to stay away from any substances, be it drugs or alcohol,” he said.
Kasim Moorad, operations manager and board member for the Kwadukuza Halfway House, said they had two patients seeking help after consuming the alcohol from the sachets.
“They had come to us in desperate need of help. After speaking to them, they said the liquid did not taste like alcohol, had the smell of methylated spirit and was strong.
“We also found that the impact was quite severe, worse than what a person would usually experience if they were on drugs. As the alcohol wears off, they have uncontrollable shakes, night sweats and even hallucinations, It is worse than alcohol withdrawal syndrome,” he said.
Moorad, who also assists schools with instant drug testing, said he received complaints about children getting intoxicated.
“During a parents meeting there were concerns raised about how easy it was for the children to purchase the sachets and get them into school. It is so small that it can be hidden underneath their uniforms. They then dilute it, and share it. We need law enforcement to tackle this issue before it ruins many lives,” he said.
The police did not respond at the time of publication.