75pc of teen pubgoers go over limit

Nearly 75 per cent of 18- to 19-year-olds breath-tested as they left licensed premises were too drunk to drive, a survey revealed yesterday.

The first New Zealand survey of young drinkers leaving licensed premises examined the drinking habits of 18- to 25-year-olds, with sobering results.

Of those aged 20 to 24 years, 42 per cent were also over the legal limit.

The average number of drinks that participants reported consuming over the night was around nine standard drinks, with 37 per cent reporting they would go on to drink more alcohol than they had consumed at the time surveyed.

The Exit Breath Survey 2005 was carried out for the Regional Alcohol Project - a group of public agencies working to reduce alcohol-related harm in Auckland.

The survey took breath alcohol readings and interviewed 350 people under 25 as they left 111 bars, pubs and clubs in the Auckland region.

National consumption statistics in the 18 to 25 age group show that 18- to 19-year-olds are the heaviest drinkers.

More than 40 per cent of survey participants said they were moderately intoxicated and about 8 per cent were extremely drunk.

Previous studies of Maori and Pacific Island people have also shown alcohol consumption is the highest among young people; 18 to 19 years for Maori and 18 to 20 years for Pacific Island.

Project spokeswoman Rebecca Williams said the results suggested licensees and staff might not be complying with the Sale of Liquor Act provisions that require them not to allow entry to intoxicated people and to refuse service to drunk patrons.

"The findings of the survey give support to the efforts of police, health and district licensing agencies to target intoxication issues and clearly indicate that reducing drinking and driving must also remain a high priority," she said.

The survey also found that patrons tested between 1am and 4am had significantly higher breath alcohol levels than those tested between 9pm and midnight.

Ms Williams said that was the obvious flow-on.

"Longer licensing hours give people more time to drink and therefore greater exposure to the alcohol-related risks like traffic crashes, injuries and violent offending."

The survey reinforced the need for good host responsibility practices and enforcement of the Liquor Act and pointed to the need for good planning around licensing hours.

"Training of serving and door staff can help, but it needs to be backed up by rigorous enforcement by police and licensing authorities," Ms Williams said.

Alcohol is associated with an increase in risk-taking behaviour among young New Zealanders.

A survey at the central Auckland emergency department showed that the number of admissions for 18- to 19-year-olds with alcohol-related causes increased from 55 in 1996 to 138 in 2003 - an increase of 151 per cent.

Land Transport New Zealand data shows 31 per cent of fatal crashes involving drivers in the 15 to 24 year age group had alcohol or drugs as a causal factor. This decreased to 25 per cent in the 25 and over age group.

What the survey found

* 40 per cent of survey participants said they were moderately intoxicated.

* 8 per cent were extremely drunk.

- NZPA