Alcohol consumption on the rise in Africa, seminar hears

Penelope Kgohloane | Pretoria, South Africa 10 September 2007

As Africa's economies grow, the production of alcohol, along with consumption of the substance, will increase, it was said at a seminar on alcohol in Pretoria on Monday.

"Africa will be experiencing a growth market and a lot of activity is still going to happen. The production of alcohol will increase on the continent and this will increase the consumption rate," Isidore Obot, from the Centre of Research and Information on Substance Abuse, said.

At the seminar, hosted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Obot said globally, alcohol abuse was the root cause of deaths in 1,8-million people suffering from chronic diseases. Alcohol was also responsible for 20% to 30% of homicides and injuries.

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