The government is waging war on the alarming increase in the abuse of alcohol and drugs, and has warned of stricter legislation - including raising the legal age for alcohol consumption from 18 to 21.

In a hard-hitting statement, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini said yesterday that the devastating effects of alcohol abuse had spurred the government to "prioritise this as a matter of urgency".

"Alcohol and substance abuse is destroying families and the fabric of society. The shocking reality of the situation has strengthened our resolve to tackle the problem head-on," Dlamini told The Times.

She said a campaign launched in October to educate people about the consequences of substance abuse, and a survey on the extent of the problem, revealed horrific examples of alcohol abuse.

The campaign kicked off in Northern Cape, where a high number of alcohol-induced crimes were reported, primarily because, it was said, farmers give their workers wine as part of their payment.

Dlamini said the "eye-opener" was found in the Free State.

"The most appalling was when we found a six-year-old Grade R child sniffing glue. This is not the kind of society we want to rear."

Dlamini said the government had set up a 10-member team of experts to develop detailed policy proposals and strategies to fight such abuse.

Heeding President Jacob Zuma's call to "intensify the fight", Dlamini said her team of experts would present its proposals during the 2nd biennial Substance Abuse Summit, in Durban next week.

In South Africa, alcohol ranks third in the burden of diseases and disabilities, after unsafe sex and interpersonal violence.

A World Health Organisation report on alcohol and health shows that South Africa has one of the highest rates of health disorders related to alcohol abuse.

If adopted, the experts' proposals could result in sweeping legislation that would hurt both distillers and brewers.

Last month, Zuma expressed concern about alcohol and drug abuse in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, saying: "Statistics indicate that the age of experimentation with drugs is nine years, which is way too disturbing."

The experts' proposals include:

• Raising the age of eligibility to purchase alcohol, and the minimum age at which it may be consumed, from 18 to 21 years;

• Stiffer sentences for public drinking and drunken driving;

• A review of liquor licence fees and stringent regulation of the awarding of licences;

• Monitoring compliance with licensing conditions, including those regulating taverns and illegal shebeens;

• Harmonisation of legislation related to the sale and use of liquor; and

• Limitations on broadcasting time, location and content of liquor advertising.

Highlighting the New Year's Day stampede at a North West tavern, in which 10 people were killed, Dlamini said the proposed policies would "ensure that such incidents do not happen again. This is a huge problem. We need to act now."

The proposals of the team of experts, along with resolutions adopted at the summit, will guide the formulation of a five-year plan for dealing with substance abuse.

Dlamini said she could not give an exact figure for the budget for implementing the plan because other departments would contribute funds, but said the amounts would be "significant".

The Department of Social Development is leading the campaign and has joined forces with the departments of science and technology, health, correctional services, safety and security, trade and industry, and education.

The alcohol industry had mixed reactions to Dlamini's statements.

Adrian Botha, a public affairs consultant to the Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA), said the industry would work with the government on alcohol abuse.

"We support any effective way of reducing alcohol abuse, but we don't believe that there is a silver-bullet approach to solving the problem.

"If you are just selecting to increase the drinking age by three years, or to restrict the advertising of liquor, that will not solve the problem of underage drinking.

"One has to look at education as a means of fighting this problem, particularly at home."

Botha said there was a need to identify the underlying problems in order to find a solution. He said the industry would welcome a review of liquor legislation, and the formalising of the legal status of shebeens and illegal taverns, but shutting down every shebeen would not solve the problem.

Dlamini's latest statements were made about a year after Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said he wanted the government to introduce new laws to fight alcohol abuse.

Motsoaledi's fight was sparked by, among other issues, a high incidence of foetal alcohol syndrome.

Motsoaledi said Transport Minister S'bu Ndebele was losing his fight against road fatalities fuelled by alcohol, and said he would consider ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema's call to ban liquor sales on Sundays.

ANC Youth League spokesman Floyd Shivambu said yesterday the league supported any programme aimed at fighting alcohol abuse.