80pc of police want drinking age raised

More than 80 per cent of sworn police officers favour lifting the drinking age for on-licence and off-licence premises.

A survey of Police Association members found that 60 per cent of sworn officers also favoured raising the purchasing age for alcohol for off-licence premises only.

Association president Greg O'Connor announced the results to Parliament's law and order select committee yesterday as it considers raising the drinking age from 18 to 20 and strengthening provisions covering the supply of liquor to minors.

The Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill was introduced by former Progressive MP Matt Robson because of concerns about youth binge drinking and was taken over by Labour's Martin Gallagher when Mr Robson lost his seat.

Mr O'Connor said the survey - of 600 sworn officers and 150 non-sworn officers - was done last year because members showed polarised opinions about the drinking age.

The survey showed that a majority were in favour of retaining the drinking age in bars but raising the age of consumption off-premises, the belief being that most of the problems police encountered were from the sale of alcohol off-premises, Mr O'Connor said.

The comments were made as the committee also considers the idea of distinguishing between on and off-licences, which would mean 18-year-olds could buy alcohol at a licensed premises, such as a bar, but not at an off-licence such as a bottle store.

"When I speak with members, most say that at least in bars there is some self-policing and we as police can visit those premises and control, to some extent and monitor what is going on."

However policing the results of excess alcohol and policing the alcohol law itself were two different things.

Drug Foundation director Ross Bell rejected the split-age model, telling the committee such a move would wind the clock back to when confusion reigned over liquor laws.

While there was no silver bullet to fix the drinking culture, a drinking age of 20 with no exemptions and mandatory identification checks was important to address the problem.

However, he said there was no evidence to support a split-age model.

Alcohol Advisory Council chief executive Mike MacAvoy said New Zealand's drinking culture must change and the bill was only a partial solution.

He said Alac supported the purchase age of 20 years but it would have to be accompanied by tighter rules around availability of and access to alcohol.

There needed to be an unswerving commitment to enforcement regardless of the purchase age.

Fifty-two per cent of 12 to 17-year-olds had stated they drank, while 18 to 20-year-olds consumed the most of any age group in the country, he said.

Despite a downward trend in beer consumption since the 1990s, wine and "alcopop" sales had increased over the past 10 years, with an overall 3.2 per cent increase per head in alcohol consumption over the past 12 months.

The supply of alcohol of minors also needed to be addressed.

"Sixty-seven per cent of parents supply alcohol to those under the minimum legal purchase age."

It was unlikely an increase in the minimum age would prevent young people from drinking as their main suppliers were family and friends.

Dr MacAvoy said legislation alone would not change the drinking culture - adults needed to be models of how to handle alcohol rather than introducing it to their children.

- NZPA