MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release
— Wellington, Wednesday 2 May 2012.
Alcohol law reform – yeah right.
The Government’s updated alcohol law reform proposals are little more than paying lip service to a problem that is
wrecking lives and haemorrhaging billions of tax dollars.
The Government appears to expect its citizens to continue to meet the exorbitant social and fiscal costs of alcohol
abuse by declining to provide robust legislation to mitigate the damage, Salvation Army social policy spokesman Major
Campbell Roberts says.
New Zealand citizens spoke clearly in their submissions to the Law Commission review. The commission’s excellent final
report provided the solutions and plan for a substantial reform to counter alcohol abuse in New Zealand. It is hugely
disappointing to see most of their recommendations ignored, Major Roberts says.
The World Health Organisation has identified raising alcohol tax as the most cost-effective policy to address the harm
caused by hazardous drinking, and this has been dismissed out of hand by the Government, he says.
“There is little evidence the Government wants to address the real problem driving the heavy drinking culture so
damaging to New Zealand society, and this is deeply worrying,” Major Roberts says.
The Salvation Army recommends the Government immediately increase excise on alcohol by 25 per cent. This would have
little effect on moderate drinkers but would reduce alcohol consumption by teenagers and heavy drinkers – the most
price-sensitive consumers – by as much as 10 per cent.
The Salvation Army’s deep and long-held concerns over how alcohol is sold and consumed comes from its close relationship
with those most badly affected by the misuse of alcohol. These people range from the families of alcoholics seeking
counselling, food parcels or emergency housing through to the 3500 people it treats for addictions through its 10 Bridge
Programme addiction treatment centres.
Issued on the Authority of Commissioner Donald Bell (Territorial Commander)
The Salvation Army, New Zealand Fiji & Tonga Territory
Ends