Pretoria - Young people in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, were educated on the adverse effects of alcohol and drug abuse, as the Department of Trade and Industry’s National Liquor Authority (NLA) kick-off its Youth Month campaign.
Young people from Mamelodi and its surroundings came out in their numbers to learn about the opportunities available to them so they can turn their lives around in a positive manner.
Those who attended the session were educated about how they can take charge of their lives to ensure that they have a better future. The youth were given an opportunity to interact with officials from the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA) and the Gauteng Liquor Board, who emphasised the dangers and negative results of alcohol and drug abuse.
The youth were also empowered to utilise their skills so that they can participate in the economy by creating their own employment. Alternatives like the formation of cooperatives and the formalisation and registration of businesses were presented to the young people by the Companies and Intellectual Properties Commission (CIPC).
The Liquor Act of 2003, which is administered by the dti’s NLA, requires the department to reduce the socio-economic costs of liquor abuse in the country.
The Act also requires that the NLA promote the development of a responsible and sustainable liquor industry in a manner that instils the ethos of social responsibility, among other things.
The campaign, said the dti, aims to encourage young people to change their behaviour and positively utilise their time and energy to grapple with the challenges that they face such as unemployment and HIV/Aids. - SAnews.gov.za
