Call to raise off-licence buying age

The Children's Commissioner also recommended setting a minimum price for alcohol. File photo / Herald on Sunday

The age for buying alcohol outside of bars should be raised to minimise harm to children and young people, Children's Commissioner John Angus says.

In a submission to the Law Commission he recommends splitting the age for alcohol sales. with the minimum purchase age at on-licences at 18, and the minimum age at off-licences raised to 20.

The penalties for serious breaches of liquor laws should be increased, and it should be an offence for adults to supply alcohol to young people unless it was at a private gathering and they had the consent of the young people's caregivers, Dr Angus said.

He also recommended setting a minimum price for alcohol to control discounting, restricting or preventing the clustering of off-licence liquor outlets, restricting the hours that off-licence premises could sell alcohol and increasing tax on alcohol.

Dr Angus said a young people's reference group from his office had helped shape his recommendations.

"They are frustrated by New Zealand's drinking culture. They believe there is a perception that a person needs to drink to have fun, that not enough is being done to change this culture and that people are blind to the fact that alcohol is killing them."

- NZPA