- Donnacha
We heard the same hysterical nonsense when six o'clock closing of bars was abolished. The rights of the majority should not be infringed because a small minority of the population are idiots. Passing laws will not stop them from being idiots - it never has done. There are plenty of sensible young people. Let them be, and let all of us identify and tackle the real causes of trouble instead of trying to ban everything in sight.
- Alan Wilkinson
Basically I think the election was rigged because obviously the jokers in Parliament have absolutely no clue as to what the public supports. And furthermore I think the Police and Parliament should stay quiet about making any comments about rising crime due to alcohol because in effect they have signed their own death warrants be letting the drinking age remain at 18. No more violin stories please. They have made the decision now deal with the related problems.
- Sarfraz
I think the idea of keeping the drinking age at 18 for pubs and clubs and making it 20 for buying it from bottle shops was the best idea. It would have allowed 18-year-old adults to drink in a controlled environment whilst reducing underage (particularly younger 15 to 17-year-olds) drinking in private places. It also wouldn't damage tourism. In Australia the drinking age is 18 both in bottle shops and pubs and clubs. I would support a similar thing here.
- Catriona
I was 21 when they raised the drinking age and had started drinking about 17-18. Now the drinking age is 18 the kids drinking are about 15-16 and while a lot of 18 year olds may be mature enough to handle it, very few 15-16 years old are. Raising the drinking age may not be the total solution but its a start!
- Chontz
MPs looked on the issues only from the angle of their 'votes', not on the issue as a whole and the impact on society especially. I feel sorry about the approach of MPs.
- Vijay
This is insane.
- Jason
So why did David Benson-Pope oppose this bill (which arose because of the bad behaviour of a minority) yet is promoting a bill to outlaw the sale of fireworks (because of the bad behaviour of a minority)?Surely, by now, his vote should not even be counted any more in parliament ...!
- BJ
What is it about the NZ psyche that drives the need for establishing control over everything! The problem is not with the age limit for legal alcohol consumption - it is binge drinking - by any age. One article states that up to 12 teens per year are killed because of the present low legal drinking age - but more than 400 are killed each year on our roads, yet you don't see mass hysteria calling a total ban on driving in NZ. We must put these things into perspective. Penalising the responsible majority because of stupidity by a small minority is not equitable nor conducive to progress. Penalise the guilty and focus on educating the young in responsible behaviour, will bear greater returns to our future society.
- Vlad Sorokin
Unbelievable! Our politicians should write the manual on how to destroy a nation from the inside out. These guys and girls are good at it. Lower the drinking age even further I say till we have more burglaries, more murders and more youth out of control on our streets. Until we wake up as a nation and vote some people in who have a brain. From the streets of South Auckland. Take it easy out there!
- Stephen
This is the most stupid decision of the day for Parliament and the most unfortunate result for New Zealanders for at least a month. I won't get into why they should raise the drinking age to 20 (21 better still) as there are too many common sense reasons why it should be raised back to the more sensible age and zero good reasons why it should stay at 18. As a health care professional in a busy emergency department, I see it all and know only too well that alcohol is a very powerful drug (as if 18-year-olds need that!!). 18 year olds are not all sensible and certainly not all mature enough to cope with knowing how to drink sensibly. Alcoholism is rife and binge drinking in the younger brain does more damage than is reasonably widely known. The people making these decisions at government level should get their advice and know some essential facts from those who know better E.G Parents might be the best but in more particular, police & emergency services personnel and those in a position to offer authentic views should count over politicians.
- Yvette
I don't think the Government were going to put the age down. This was all just a ploy to make it look like they are answering concerns of the emergency services. In the end politions just want the youth votes to keep their jobs so they can live it up some more & spend more of our taxes & build a few more memorials (ie: stadiums) to themselves.
- Adam
Up to 18-year-old youngsters should be protected from alcohol. I think over 20-year-old is proper to make decide for their lives when it comes to alcohol at least.
- Abraham J. H. Lee
I am stunned that Members of Parliament have rejected the overwhelming public desire to see the drinking age raised back to twenty. Many politicians showed a distinct lack of preparation and a flagrant disregard for public opinion in their voting. Even more upsetting is the way the youth aid officers, school counsellors, A&E staff, school principals and the public of New Zealand have been ignored in their pleas to change. Here was an opportunity to begin to turn the tide of growing alcohol abuse; to provide parents and police with an effective tool in helping to delay the onset of drinking and binge drinking. Late in the afternoon, just hours before the debate was scheduled to occur, the government announced a review of the sale of liquor would be undertaken regardless of the outcome of the vote. Rather than being a conscience vote it appears to have been engineered along party lines. It is an undisputed fact that alcohol is New Zealand's biggest drug problem; far more damaging and widely spread in it's destructive effects across all society than P and cannabis. It was never going to be the total solution, but it could have been a decision that displayed listening skills and leadership. Instead our political representatives have dodged the tough decision and satisfied themselves with a "review." The only upside is, somewhat tragically, there is an ever growing need for our services.
- Mrs Jennie Milne, Programme Director Drug Proofing Your Kids, Focus on the Family NZ
I'm very much surprised that the bill to raise the drinking age back to 20 was rejected. We are a nation that has EVERY opportunity to excel in all aspects of excellence yet we still fall when it comes to crucial decisions in up holding the safety and protection of our younger generation. This year alone we see an influx of child/youth violence with some resulting in death. This percentage is far too great. This bill in returning the age back to 20 may not be to some the best resolution but it is a start. This bill isn't the answer but it is a stepping stone to achieving a better solution for drinking problems associated with our children.
What we've done so far doesn't seem to be working? If this issue wasn't a problem then it wouldn't have been raised. But it has. Take note of the alarm bells and act upon it. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to look around you and realise that we have a dilemma upon ourselves. Many may want to ignore it but as a nation we have a duty to insure that we care for our future. Our future is our children…
- E.A.
Raising the drinking age would not have addressed the problems the government sought to address. 14 and 15-year-olds who drink are more likely to get their alcohol from parents than from an 18-year-old. Raising the drinking age is a knee-jerk reaction and would simply create more dissatisfaction and less respect for the law amongst young people. Focusing on creating healthy attitudes towards drinking amongst all New Zealanders should be the main priority of the government. Restricting alcohol advertising is a step in the right direction, as are safe-drinking campaigns. Legislation doesn't teach anyone anything. Good on the Government for coming to their senses.
- Ivy Rossiter
I wonder if it was all above board.. when big business is involved sometimes things happen.. lobbying.. its not the 1st time
- Trevor
Hi NZHerald and the team at parliament. I think that the drinking age should stay the same or go lower as I think the next generation of kids (including me) will not be as bad. If people including the NZ police don't agree with this I would suggest that they make a new law saying that if any one does get caught drink driving or other drinking crimes they should be sentenced for a week [jail? - Ed] or lose their license. Thank you for letting me share my views.
- Nick Cassidy (Student at Murrays Bay Intermediate and also the next Michael Schumacher)
It should be 25, anybody under this age should not be allowed to drink due to the level of maturity. Its all about he government getting more tax money from the sale of booze. This sick government we all have to live with.
- Nicoli
I personally was in full support in raising the drinking age. From being an 18-year-old and now a 20-year-old, I believe the drinking age should be raised. Not because I can still buy it and it doesn't concern me, but because I know now from the last two years how much a person can mature. This isn't only about a 2 year difference either, there are 16-year-olds drinking, and I think they are double as much the cause for the consideration of raising the drinking age. If the drinking age was raised, it would most likely limit it to only the 18's and over drinking at least. One idea I did like out of the whole thing was only being able to sell alcohol to 18's in bars and clubs. I think this would have been a more mature way to do it, this would allow drinkers to be drinking socially, in an environment where there are security around, since 'the way we are drinking' is ultimately the government's reason for repeal.
- Aaron
I think it should be put up to twenty because most of the problems with drink are with under 18-year-olds. And if you put the age to 20 than this will drop the number of under age people drinking. As most 20-year-olds don't hang out with younger ones if they're not family. While 18-years-olds have lots of friends under 18. So they get the drink for them. By putting up the age it will big time stop the younger ones drinking.
- Patricia
A problem like underage drinking cannot be cured by legislation - throughout human history any form of prohibition has never worked. People must receive full education rather than just be herded like ignorant beasts, so it should be treated as a health issue (like any form of drug). The best way is to hit kids in the coolness pocket. If you travel in Latin Europe the boozing English and Germans are sneered at by the locals, who are able to enjoy a couple of drinks without losing complete control. Peoples attitudes must change to make it uncool to be a staggering, vomiting, brawling, drunken loser.
- Stephen Hodge
Being a teenager, I think I understand something that middle age people are oblivious to. Making the drinking age higher will not stop teenagers from drinking and getting their hands on alcohol. If we want to drink, then we will, and there's always a way to purchase it, no matter the rules and laws.
- Kate J
So the responsible politicians will vote through legalising prostitution; legalising election overspending and now keeping the drinking age at 18. The drinking age was lowered with no implementation of consequence if you were found to be drinking under age. So perhaps we should really bring the age down to 12 and teach the current underage drinkers to be more responsible drinkers? Or more seriously we should put in place a zero tolerance policy where if you are found to be consuming alcohol and you are underage you are prosecuted because… wait for it... you broke the law.
- Mike Bell
I am a 18-year-old and I think that the MPs has made a right choice in leaving it down. I only say this because all you see on TV is all the bad things that happen. Do you ever see the good times ie socialising, just have a good time... I don't think so? And the point about teen drinking and driving? Most people pulled over for drink driving are aged "35 - 45" . Maybe concentrating on people that age would do the death toll some good... You know what they say "follow in your father's footsteps"
- Nilesh Dahya
I think leaving the drinking age at 18 is the right decision. Learning how to handle alcohol is a cultural/social thing that teenagers can learn. It might take a few generations for things to change here, but raising the age back to 20 and making alcohol the 'forbidden fruit' is not going to solve anything. There are plenty of countries where people can legally drink from 16, without this causing huge problems.
- Janneke
Reason and common-sense have prevailed - anecdote and reaction have lost. I was appalled that there was a proposed bill to do the same failed result of giving the patient a pill and hoping the problem will go away addressing the symptoms, rather than actually looking at the cause of the alleged problem. We seem to react and never fix the problem if indeed there is a problem at all. If the problem is minors drinking alcohol nowadays, that was exactly what they were doing befor lowering the drinking age in 1999. That is something that has not changed. The only difference is that MPs voted to stop sweeping youth alcohol abuse under the carpet 7 years ago. We can now deal with it in an open way that acknowledges the issues. I praise those MPs highly that voted to defeat this ridiculous Bill. As for those that supported the wowserish bill, I suggest they learn to read facts rather than reacting to anecdotal gibberish from a select few police officers, while they drink their subsidised Bellamys drinks. You know who you are!
- Darryl Godfrey
