Mysterious death of 21 teens raises debate about underage drinking in South Africa

On Wednesday, South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, said the country is losing “future generations to the scourge of underage drinking” at a ceremony remembering 21 teenagers who died mysteriously in a tavern in South Africa last month. The youngest was just 13. While the cause of death for the teenagers remains unclear, the tragedy has sparked a debate in the country over alcohol consumption, particularly underage drinking. Charles Parry, director of the Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drug Research Unit of the South Africa Medical Research Council, spoke to Marco Werman from Cape Town.