Law to combat binge drinking 'could backfire'

Making it illegal for 18 and 19-year-olds to buy alcohol may actually increase binge drinking in that age group, teenagers from a youth advisory group have told MPs.

Oliver Butt, 16, and Tai Ahu, 19, are part of Activate - the Ministry of Youth Development's youth advisory group. Made up of people aged 15 to 21, it informs the Government on youth issues and opinions.

The pair made a submission to Parliament's law and order select committee on the Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill, which seeks to raise the minimum alcohol purchase age from 18 to 20 years and strengthen provisions covering the supply of liquor to minors.

The bill was introduced by former Progressives MP Matt Robson over concerns about youth binge drinking. It was taken over by Labour MP Martin Gallagher when Mr Robson lost his seat in Parliament last year.

Mr Ahu disputed Mr Robson's claims that the bill's plan to increase the purchasing age to 20 was not a provision to punish young people.

"Activate is of the opinion that regardless of what the provision is designed to achieve that's exactly the effect that it will have," he told the committee.

It would limit the choices and deprive the rights of responsible drinkers aged 18 and 19, he said.

Mr Butt said Activate believed it was quite possible that raising the age would lead to an increase in 18 and 19-year-olds binge drinking on spirits.

It was too expensive for most of that age group to get "totally inebriated" in bars, so they tended to just buy a few beers, he said.

But most had friends over 20 who could supply them with spirits.

"It's more likely that they're going to be drinking these spirits at home and getting severely inebriated, rather than going out in town and drinking in a relatively safe environment with bouncers and legal limits to the amount they're allowed to purchase."

Mr Ahu said the group did not dispute that binge drinking was a problem and that it was undesirable to youth, their families and the wider community.

But they believed most young people were responsible and did not drink excessively.

Activate believed the legislation ignored the fact binge drinking was part of a wider social issue that required a culture change.

Mr Butt said parents provided much of the alcohol consumed by young people.

He also highlighted inconsistencies the bill would create between buying alcohol and other things 18-year-olds could legally do, such as getting married and voting.

"If the proposed legislation goes through you won't be able to go to a bar at the end of your wedding for your celebration," he said.

"And we thought it was interesting that at 18 you could die for your country, but not celebrate winning a war at a bar."

Mr Ahu said the problems the bill sought to address were not directly related to the age you were able to purchase alcohol but rather the age you were allowed to drink it, which was not governed by law.

"We would be in support of some kind of change legally for a drinking age, though we understand this kind of law would be difficult to enforce."

The select committee also heard from the Ministry of Youth Development. Policy analyst Rachael Soster said the ministry did not accept there was sufficient evidence to raise the purchase age.

- NZPA