Wednesday, 19 May 2004
Raising Drinking Age Would Reduce Harmful Youth Pressures
The Salvation Army supports calls to raise the legal drinking age to 20, as a way to reduce harmful pressures on young
people.
‘New Zealand young people have heavy life pressures on them already and the addition of alcohol at too early an age can
complicate their lives and decision making processes,’ says The Salvation Army’s National Director of Social Policy
Research Campbell Roberts.
‘Parliament lowered the drinking age to 18 on the promise that it would reverse some of the negative factors associated
with teenage alcohol consumption, such as binge drinking and addiction. But the Ministry of Justice’s recent report on
the effects of lowering the drinking age fails to conclusively show that those negative factors are being reduced.’
Major Roberts said that although the Justice report does not conclusively point to a greater number of young people
drinking, it does show an increase in alcohol consumption by teenagers.
‘The Salvation Army works daily with families around the country who are affected in some way by teenage use of alcohol.
The anecdotal evidence strongly suggests that lowering the drinking age has resulted in significant negative
alcohol-related patterns of behaviour.’
Major Roberts said that The Salvation Army believes it is important to immediately take a more conservative approach and
raise the drinking age to 20.
‘Whichever way you look at it, alcohol is an addictive substance and its increase in use by young people must be of
concern to the community. By the time we have more conclusive data about damage the lower drinking age is having on
young people and New Zealand families, it may be too late for many,’ he said.
ENDS