CAPE TOWN - With more than 50 percent of its people consuming alcohol and a third of this group abusing it, Cape Town has been dubbed the "drinking capital" of South Africa, it was revealed on Thursday.

The statistics came from a study carried out earlier this year by the Department of Health.

The problem was prevalent not only among adults, but also among high school children, according to the study.

Alcohol abuse among schoolchildren was a much bigger problem than drugs, the study found.

About 66 percent of pupils in the Western Cape province in Grades eight to 10 drank alcohol. Of them, a quarter admitted to binge drinking two weeks before the study took place, according to the study.

"It was fascinating to note that only two percent of the pupils who participated admitted to using tik (drug)," Corrigall said.

The study blamed violence, mental health problems and HIV/AIDS for driving more than half of Cape Town's population to drink.

On the other way round, "alcohol consumption generally leads to violence, which can be stressful, as well as people turning to alcohol when they are stressed," said Joanne Corrigall, senior public specialist with the department.

Easy access to alcohol is other factor to be blamed, Corrigall said, adding that a beer cost the same as a cool drink.

Alcohol adverts also play a part, he said.

"Everywhere you go, alcohol is advertised without pointing out the real dangers of irresponsible consumption."

There were about 300 alcohol-related deaths a month in South Africa, which is ranked third on the list of countries with the highest rates of alcohol consumption, according to the study.

The study called for more exposure to the dangers of drinking so that people would drink "more responsibly."