Shebeens staring down the barrel?

The Western Cape legislature has approved a bill aimed at shutting down about 20 000 illegal shebeens across the province to curb alcohol abuse and its impact on communities. (from IOL)(Is this a bad time to point out that there are approximately 30 000 shebeens - not 20 000?)

"Alcohol is a major factor in all types of crime, including crimes of violence against women and children," the MEC for finance, economic development and tourism Garth Strachan said.

"A whopping 67 percent of domestic violence cases in the Cape Town metropole are alcohol-related."

On average, 60 percent of homicides in Cape Town were associated with alcohol abuse. More than 70 percent of non-fatal and 50 percent of fatal violent injuries in urban areas were alcohol-related. More than 50 percent of drivers and passengers and more than 70 percent of the 3 000 adult pedestrians a year who died in accidents were found to have been drinking. Six in 10 drivers who died in accidents had dangerously high alcohol levels in their blood. About 50 percent of truck drivers and 30 percent of taxi drivers drank while driving.