Hold My Hand and Rethink Your Drink urge safer choices to protect South Africa’s children this Easter
As South Africa prepares for the Easter holidays, Hold My Hand, a national campaign dedicated to accelerating action for children and teenagers, and Rethink Your Drink, an alcohol harms reduction campaign, are calling on everyone to prioritise the safety and well-being of the nation's youngest and most vulnerable members.
The Easter period is traditionally a time for family and community connection. However, it is also a period where the risks of alcohol-related harms, road traffic incidents, and water-related accidents significantly increase. In South Africa, where approximately 43% of those who consume alcohol engage in binge drinking, the consequences often fall most heavily on children.
"Every day, 3,000 children are born in South Africa, and their future depends on the safety and stability we provide," says Mesuli Kama, network mobilisation lead at Hold My Hand. "The National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children (NSAAC) that was approved off by Cabinet in December, explicitly prioritises protecting children from all forms of abuse, violence, injuries, and harmful substances. This Easter, we must move beyond individual choices and recognise our collective responsibility to create a safer environment for every child."
Rethink Your Drink, a campaign by the DG Murray Trust (DGMT), highlights that heavy drinking is a systemic issue that disrupts the fabric of South African homes. Alcohol-attributable harm contributes to infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and injuries, ranking as a top contributor to the national burden of disease.
Kashifa Ancer, Campaign Manager at Rethink Your Drink says "Alcohol is often seen as 'part of the vibe' during holidays, but for many children, heavy drinking by adults leads to neglect, trauma, and direct physical harm. We are asking South Africans to rethink the norms that make excessive drinking acceptable. By choosing sobriety or moderation, especially when driving or supervising children, you are actively holding a child's hand and securing their future."
Hold My Hand encourages everyone to remember and share the following Easter holiday tips:
While extra vigilance is extra important during the upcoming holiday, Hold My Hand and Rethink Your Drink continue to advocate for the structural shifts necessary to protect children year-round. The proposed legislation identifies interventions such as banning alcohol advertising (except at point of sale), introducing minimum unit pricing, and restricting liquor trading hours. These measures are essential to reduce the "alcohol harms paradox" that disproportionately affects families in low socio-economic areas.
About Hold My Hand: Hold My Hand is a national communications and social mobilisation campaign in support of the National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children (NSAAC), to ensure that the rights and well-being of South Africa’s children and teenagers are prioritised. Established through a partnership between the Presidency and the DG Murray Trust, the Hold My Hand Accelerator for Children and Teens has been set up to fast-track certain priority strategies in the NSAAC,.
About Rethink Your Drink: Rethink Your Drink is an alcohol harms reduction campaign by DGMT that challenges the norms and policies that promote heavy drinking in South Africa. The campaign advocates for evidence-based policy changes to protect society, particularly children and adolescents, from the devastating impacts of alcohol misuse.
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