Has the time come for New Zealand to introduce a legal drinking age?
Here ALAC’s senior policy analyst, Megan Larken, looks at one suggestion, a legal drinking age.
Colloquially, the minimum legal purchase age is often referred to as the “drinking age”. Those of us who work with alcohol policy know there’s a big difference between a “drinking age” and a “purchase age”. We will gladly point out that we have a purchase age in New Zealand so there is nothing illegal about anyone supplying any young person with alcohol, nor is it illegal for people of any age to drink. Except in a public place. This last provision is tucked away in the Summary Offences Act, whereas the Sale of Liquor Act is strictly about commercial sale and supply.
For a long time in New Zealand, and for very good reasons, the lowering and raising of the minimum legal purchase age has been a key focus of efforts to influence youth access to alcohol. However, Parliament’s decision last year not to pursue raising the purchase age, followed by the Government’s anti-climactic Review of the Sale and Supply of Liquor to Under-18s, has led to some of us taking a fresh look at alternative options.
December 15 2007 | Drinking Age | 4 Comments »