Sub-council 19 has turned down six liquor applications.
The councillors explained their decisions by citing the anti-social effect of irresponsible drinking, and its effect on the community in terms of alcoholism, gender-based violence and traffic accidents.
Their intention, they said, behind limiting the hours that liquor could be sold from off-consumption premises, was to reduce the availability of liquor.
This, they said, was to combat the undesirable consequences of alcohol consumption.
“The ability to apply for extended trading hours was intended to serve the tourism economy, specifically for wine farms and speciality liquor outlets and not to extend the hours of liquor purchases to the general public,” they said in their explanation on the Sub-Council 19 agenda.
They said the risks and nuisances associated with alcohol sales and consumption were well-known and widespread across the country and that the effects were not only experienced at the immediate sales location, but also in the surrounding suburbs.
The councillors turned down six applications, from businesses from Ocean View to Glencairn to Simon’s Town.
They specifically cited the following as their reasons:
● The country’s drunk-driving road deaths were among the highest in the world.
● Anti-social behaviour, violence and crime.
● Family violence (including gender-based violence) associated with alcohol consumption.
● Alcoholism among street people was a major societal challenge.
The agenda noted that half of hospital trauma admissions each week were linked to alcohol consumption.
It was unanimously agreed that it was not in the public interest to approve and grant extension of the trading days and hours.
