Western Cape authorities say alcohol is the third largest contributor to death and disability in the country.

Finance and Economic Development MEC Alan Winde briefed the media on Thursday on the effects of alcohol abuse.

The briefing coincided with the publissaidhing of the province’s Liquor Amendment Bill for public comment for a third time.

Winde said alcohol-related road deaths cost the province more than R6bn a year.

“Every month three hundred people in the Western Cape die from alcohol related injuries. There’s a major cost to the economy with regards to the abuse of alcohol. We all know about the foetal alcohol syndrome and the effect that has on our communities.”

In addition, one third of the national and provincial health budgets are spent on the burden of disease created by alcohol.

AWARERNESS TO BE RAISED

The Western Cape government is planning an awareness campaign to highlight the effects of alcohol abuse.

A local artist from Bonteheuwel was selected as one of the artists to have his work displayed on billboards across Cape Town.

The painting by Shaunez Benting portrays a foetus lying inside a womb filled with alcohol.

Benting said while officials had the right intention, the message did not always get through to grass root level.

“They all, they mean well but they’re not united in the process, in the implementation of it, you see. But they’ve got noble ideas.”