Drinking age back on the ballot

Late-teens who won the right to drink six years ago could be about to lose it.

Parliament will again consider whether to return to the legal drinking age to 20, after Progressive MP Matt Robson's private members bill was drawn in a ballot yesterday.

Mr Robson has been the main political fighter to reverse the law he helped put in place.

Since the age was lowered from 20 to 18 in 1999, the issue of teen drinking and its social and health effects has never been far from the headlines. Studies have linked the law change to a rise in the number of teens ending up in hospital with alcohol-related problems.

Past opinion polls have shown that up to 75 per cent of New Zealanders would support the drinking age going back up.

Mr Robson is confident the bill will make it through the first reading in Parliament to select committee stage.

'Otherwise they will have to explain to 70 per cent of the population who support raising the drinking age, why they wouldn't subject the bill to the process of taking evidence."

The issue was hotly debated in 1999, before narrowly passing 59-54.

Although he has not yet canvassed all MPs, Mr Robson believed the bill had a high chance of success.

"One, the public health evidence is unanimously in favour, and secondly, public opinion is strongly in favour of returning it."

The bill could have its first reading next month, but Mr Robson said that the Labour Party was unlikely to want it heard in the lead-up to this year's election.

Most parties will address the bill as a conscience vote, but the Progressive Party and New Zealand First will block vote in favour of it.

Mr Robson said since he voted to lower the drinking age, he had read public health evidence which made an overwhelming case to return the legal age to 20.

Yesterday, Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell said he hoped MPs would "see sense in correcting the mistake made in 1999".

"The impact of the law changes are well documented in many serious negative social indicators."

He said the matter was clearly an election year issue.

"With over 70 per cent of New Zealanders supporting the returning of the drinking age to 20, MPs will be closely watched to see if they support this bill to select committee."

The Alcohol Advisory Council Chief executive Dr Mike MacAvoy said the organisation had opposed the lowering of the age in 1999 and that view had not changed.

The Progressive Party has already signalled that it wants a toughening up on liquor laws.

Leader Jim Anderton has said he wants the next coalition agreement to allow introduction of a bill to raise the drinking age back to 20.

Changing the law

The Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction) Bill wants to:

* Return legal drinking age to 20.
* Limit all TV advertising of alcohol to after 10pm
* Make the Broadcasting Standards Authority the watchdog for alcohol advertising.
* If it reaches select committee stage the bill will return to Parliament where it has to pass a second and third reading before becoming law.