TY - JOUR
T1 - Alcohol use in South Africa
T2 - Findings from the South African community epidemiology network on drug use (SACENDU) project
AU - Parry, Charles D.H.
AU - Bhana, Arvin
AU - Myers, Bronwyn
AU - Plüddemann, Andreas
AU - Flisher, Alan J.
AU - Peden, Margaret M.
AU - Morojele, Neo K.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Objective: To provide community-level public health surveillance on alcohol misuse in South Africa and the associated negative consequences. Method: A descriptive, epidemiological study of alcohol use based on data gathered biannually from multiple sources over 4 years, including specialist treatment centers, trauma units, mortuaries, psychiatric facilities, and surveys of school students and arrestees. Networks were set up in five sentinel sites to facilitate the collection, interpretation and dissemination of data. Results: Indicators point to the widespread misuse of alcohol. Alcohol consistently dominates the demand for substance use disorders treatment services. In the second half of 2000, 51.1% (Cape Town) to 77.0% (Mpumalanga) of patients reported alcohol as their primary substance of abuse. A high proportion of patients in trauma units tested positive for alcohol in 2000, ranging from 40.3% (Durban) to 91.8% (Port Elizabeth). Similarly, a high proportion of mortality cases tested positive for alcohol, ranging from 40.3% (Durban) to 67.2% (Port Elizabeth). Although treatment demand is dominated by men and older persons, alcohol misuse occurs among all sectors. School surveys reflect harmful drinking patterns among students, with 53.3% and 36.5% of male students in Durban and Cape Town, respectively, reporting heavy-drinking episodes by Grade 11. Discussion: Alcohol misuse has a number of implications for public health policy, such as the need to develop protocols for the management of alcohol-positive patients in trauma units and to target prevention programs at heavy drinking by young people. Further monitoring of alcohol misuse and its associated negative consequences is required.
AB - Objective: To provide community-level public health surveillance on alcohol misuse in South Africa and the associated negative consequences. Method: A descriptive, epidemiological study of alcohol use based on data gathered biannually from multiple sources over 4 years, including specialist treatment centers, trauma units, mortuaries, psychiatric facilities, and surveys of school students and arrestees. Networks were set up in five sentinel sites to facilitate the collection, interpretation and dissemination of data. Results: Indicators point to the widespread misuse of alcohol. Alcohol consistently dominates the demand for substance use disorders treatment services. In the second half of 2000, 51.1% (Cape Town) to 77.0% (Mpumalanga) of patients reported alcohol as their primary substance of abuse. A high proportion of patients in trauma units tested positive for alcohol in 2000, ranging from 40.3% (Durban) to 91.8% (Port Elizabeth). Similarly, a high proportion of mortality cases tested positive for alcohol, ranging from 40.3% (Durban) to 67.2% (Port Elizabeth). Although treatment demand is dominated by men and older persons, alcohol misuse occurs among all sectors. School surveys reflect harmful drinking patterns among students, with 53.3% and 36.5% of male students in Durban and Cape Town, respectively, reporting heavy-drinking episodes by Grade 11. Discussion: Alcohol misuse has a number of implications for public health policy, such as the need to develop protocols for the management of alcohol-positive patients in trauma units and to target prevention programs at heavy drinking by young people. Further monitoring of alcohol misuse and its associated negative consequences is required.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035988555&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.15288/jsa.2002.63.430
DO - 10.15288/jsa.2002.63.430
M3 - Article
C2 - 12160101
AN - SCOPUS:0035988555
SN - 0096-882X
VL - 63
SP - 430
EP - 435
JO - Journal of Studies on Alcohol
JF - Journal of Studies on Alcohol
IS - 4
ER -