Wednesday, 3 March 2010: The Soul City Institute officially launched a powerful and ambitious national campaign today designed to change the way South Africans drink.
Supported by the Liquor Traders Association and a number of other partners, the “Phuza Wize” campaign is aimed at creating safe drinking spaces and alcohol free zones and reducing the violence related to alcohol. In addition, Phuza Wize wants to ensure that South Africans understand the role of alcohol in new HIV infections - people are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior if they are drunk
According to Dr Sue Goldstein, a Senior Executive at Soul City “The literature shows us that a very high proportion of violent incidents are perpetrated by people who are drunk and the victims are often drunk too”
The majority of perpetrators and victims of violence in South Africa are men, therefore Phuza Wize will primarily target young men aged 15 to 35.
“International experience indicates that changing drinking environments and reducing the availability of alcohol have the effect of reducing incidents of violence. The campaign is working with many partners to achieve safer social spaces, this means working with taverns and shebeens to make them safer according to a 10 point plan” adds Aadielah Maker another Senior Executive.
These ten criteria must be met by establishments in order to be called safe drinking places. The criteria will be prominently displayed and a hotline number is being set up where patrons or community members can call to report non-compliance.
The campaign will be run through Soul City TV series and Soul Buddyz TV on SABC 1, Soul City radio series, community radio stations and newspapers, as well as with materials such as booklets and detailed fact sheets, which can be obtained on www.soulcity.org.
For more information, interview requests or images please contact
Tankiso Komane/Georgina Lefifi
Onyx Marketing Communications
tankiso@onyxmarketing.co.za/ 083 312 8950 OR georgina@onyxmarketing.co.za / 082 908 2555