The Drinks Federation of South Africa has warned consumers about the dangers of illicit alcohol, particularly during the Easter period. Fake and counterfeit products may contain harmful substances like methanol and industrial chemicals. Officials urge purchases from reputable outlets.
The Drinks Federation of South Africa issued a warning on the growing risks posed by illicit alcohol consumption, especially ahead of Easter. The federation highlighted that fake and counterfeit drinks often include dangerous elements such as methanol and industrial chemicals, which can lead to serious health issues.
Dr Shamal Ramesar, Head of Research at the federation, outlined four main categories of illicit alcohol. These include counterfeit and fake products, alcohol trafficking involving smuggling and hijacking, alcohol tax fraud, and home brews or traditional alcohols familiar to South Africans.
"So, when we talk about illicit alcohol in the drinks industry, it comes across four major categories," Ramesar stated. "Now, the first one is the one that we all know, which is your counterfeit and fake alcohol. Alcohol trafficking, which is what you were referring to, in terms of smuggling, hijacking. And then the third type of illicit is alcohol tax fraud. The last one is something that we are familiar with as South Africans. It’s your home brews and your traditional sort of alcohol. And that is why we want to urge all of our consumers out there to make that the products they are purchasing are safe and it’s bought from reputable liquor outlets."
Consumers are advised to verify products carefully and buy only from trusted liquor outlets to ensure safety.