Enyobeni Tavern teen carnage: 'the solutions start with the questions' - SAMRC

Mandy Weiner speaks to the director of the South African Medical Research Council's Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit professor Charles Parry on what we can learn from the Enyobeni Tavern tragedy where twenty-one children died.

The East London tragedy where 21 teenagers lost their lives at a tavern in Scenery Park, East London has left the country shaken - with many questioning the lack of accountability for the incident.

The director of the South African Medical Research Council's Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit professor Charles Parry said the incident was a wake-up call for the country and its relationship with alcohol.

He added that it brought about questions that the community, parents, police, government and liquor board had to answer.

I think it's a wake-up call for us... blame can go wide and I think there are people we haven't even talked about where there's blame. So, I think there are questions to ask.. the solutions start with the questions.

Prof Charles Parry, director of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit - SAMRC

Though there is no single solution to these issues, Parry says that we should start with the legislative framework of the sale of alcohol and alcohol consumption, with outdated laws needing to be revised, particularly looking at 2017's proposed Liquor Amendment Bill.

We've got to start with out legislative framework and we've got some good laws, but there are some that are out of date. [The Liquor Amendment Bill] needs to be looked at.

Prof Charles Parry, director of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit - SAMRC

Though there is no direct blame, Parry calls for communities to be empowered and listened to, parents taking a more proactive role in the children's activities, police needing to step up, making sure liquor traders are complying to liquor sale laws, among others.

Listen to more below.

This article first appeared on 702 : Enyobeni Tavern teen carnage: 'the solutions start with the questions' - SAMRC

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