Abstract
Alcohol abuse amongst the youth is one of the major problems the world is facing, especially in rural communities where the majority of young people are unemployed and have little to do with their time. This study sought to determine the accessibility of alcohol amongst the youth of a rural community in Limpopo province, South Africa. This was a qualitative study which employed the exploratory case study research design which allowed the researchers to explore the risk factors for youth alcohol abuse. Interviews were conducted to collect data which was analysed thematically. The Eco-systems theory was used as a guiding theory for this study. The study found that there were clear associations between physical availability of alcohol, its affordability and high density of liquor outlets in one area and youth alcohol abuse. This study concluded that alcohol and other substance abuse call for preventative and intervention measures in rural communities targeted at the youth. Issues such as educating parents and guardians on how to improve their parenting skills in relation to alcohol consumption and the dangers thereof proved to be of greater need in the rural communities.
Highlights
Alcohol and drug use among the youth is a cause of increasing concern
This study aimed to determine the accessibility of alcohol amongst the youth of a rural community in Limpopo province, South Africa
Those who believe the number of liquor outlets in the community and the distance between them have a positive impact on their drinking behaviour reported the following responses: “For the fact that I find my home to be closer to a few taverns in my community, it makes it easier for me to access alcohol because I do not have to travel far
Summary
Alcohol and drug use among the youth is a cause of increasing concern. According to Rehm et al (2009), alcohol has historically been part of the human culture. It is for this reason that alcohol is accessible for young people, even minors who are by law prohibited from drinking alcohol Indicative of this are results from Moore et al (2007) who averred that heavy alcohol consumption and misuse is observed among the young adults. In another study by Thatcher and Clark (2008) it was reported that the abuse of alcohol and other substances in many cases would be associated with the environmental and contextual risk factors. These authors indicate that environmental factors include, amongst others, family-related characteristics such as family functioning, parenting practices, and child maltreatment. Other environmental risk factors of youth alcohol use, are stated by Komro et al (2007) who revealed that adolescents and young adults consume alcohol not just because of intrapersonal factors, such as personality type or social skills; they drink alcohol because it is ISSN: 2668-7798 www.techniumscience.com part of their daily lives in their communities and, for many youth, in their homes. Mafa (2020) concurs by indicating that young people’s drinking behaviour is compounded by their parents’ permissive attitude towards alcohol consumption
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