Campaign Applauds Review of Alcohol Supply to Minors

The Keep it 18! campaign has welcomed the Government's announced review of the supply of alcohol to minors, saying it would be far more effective than raising the purchase age to 20.

Keep it 18! has been highlighting the numerous problems with simply raising the alcohol purchase age, arguing that doing so would not result in reduced youth drinking.

"We welcome the Government's moves to review the supply of alcohol to minors in the likely event that the Sale of Liquor Amendment Bill is defeated today", said Christopher Bishop, spokesperson for the Keep it 18! campaign.

"Raising the drinking age is never going to work as a way of dealing with New Zealand's drinking culture. It is a simplistic and knee-jerk solution – a legislative sledgehammer".

"We have consistently argued that the best way of dealing with New Zealand's drinking culture is through effective education, action on enforcement and changing attitudes to drinking"

"Banning 18 and 19 year olds from buying a drink at the pub or from an off-licence does not deal with the underlying issues around problem drinking. It merely punishes the majority of the country's 125,000 eighteen and nineteen year olds who drink responsibly".

"The Bill before the House today does not effectively deal with the issue of supplying alcohol to minors, something which we know is contributing to the problem of underage drinking."

"We call on MPs to vote the Bill down this evening and instead focus their energies on the review," Mr Bishop concluded.

ENDS

© Scoop Media