Drinking age law change

Justice Minister Simon Power. Photo / Getty Images

Legislation introducing the change to a split drinking age will be introduced to Parliament tomorrow.

The change, part of the Government's response to a review by the Law Commission into the harm caused by alcohol, included splitting the alcohol purchasing age to 18 for bars and clubs and 20 for off-licence purchases, limiting the alcohol content of RTDs, banning particularly harmful products and reducing opening hours.

The only recommendation ruled out by the Government was increasing the excise tax on alcohol.

A spokesman for Justice Minister Simon Power told NZPA the 225-page alcohol reform bill would be tabled in Parliament tomorrow and was in line with the Government's reaction to the Law Commission report.

The bill would possibly have its first reading next week.

Mr Power has said the bill would spend six months before a select committee for public consultation after its first reading.

"As I have said this bill is Parliament's starting point for alcohol reform - not the end point," Mr Power said last week.

He said alcohol was a lubricant for crime. It was implicated in 34 per cent of reported family violence offences and 50 per cent of all homicides.

"I recognise that alcohol's tentacles reach further than that - it impacts on our workplace productivity, our injury rate, our road toll and our general health."

- NZPA