Low drink age kills 12 teens a year

Lowering the drinking age to 18 has cost the lives of 12 teenagers each year in New Zealand and is putting more than 400 in hospital with traffic related injuries, new research suggests.

Progressive Party leader Jim Anderton says the findings provide solid evidence that Parliament's decision to lower the purchase age to 18 was a mistake and strengthens support for returning it to 20.

"It [the report] has disturbing messages that we as a society cannot responsibly ignore."

But other MPs and the Alcohol Advisory Council say changes to the legislation alone are not enough to reduce alcohol-related harm.

The research by Professor John Langley, director of the Injury Prevention Research Unit at Otago University and Dr Kyp Kypri, senior lecturer in population health at Newcastle University, is yet to be published in the American Journal of Public Health.

A summary of the conclusions was released yesterday by Mr Anderton and Progressive MP Matt Robson, who has a bill before the law and order select committee seeking to return the alcohol purchasing age to 20.

Mr Anderton said the report showed there were significantly more alcohol-involved crashes among 15 to 19-year-olds than would have been the case if the purchase age had not been reduced.

"The research paper estimates that if the purchase age were returned to 20 years, an annual saving of [treating] over 400 injury hospitalisations and 12 fatalities among 15 to 19-year-olds from road traffic crashes alone would be expected," Mr Anderton said.

Mr Anderton said the research was the most significant done since the age was lowered and would be "of great value" to the select committee.

Dr Kypri said the research looked at the rates of alcohol-involved traffic crashes resulting in injury and hospitalisations, using information supplied by the Land Transport Safety Authority and the New Zealand Health Information Service, before and after the lowering of the drinking age on December 1, 1999. Data from four years before the change were compared with four years after.

Among 15 to 19-year-olds, crashes involving alcohol increased by 12 to 14 per cent for males and 24 to 51 per cent for females, compared with 20 to 24-year-olds.

Dr Kypri said the hospitalisation and death figures were based on a review of American research, which found a 16 per cent decrease in traffic crashes after drinking ages were increased in the 1980s.

Professor Sally Casswell, director of the Centre for Social and Health Outcomes, said the results were not surprising given overseas findings and supported work she had completed, which found increases in the number of 18 and 19-year-olds charged with drink-driving since the purchase age was lowered.

Her research, soon to be published in the British journal, Addiction, showed a large increase in the trend for driving with excess alcohol. An increase was also found for fatal alcohol-related crashes.

National health spokesman Dr Paul Hutchison, who voted against Mr Robson's bill, said it was inconsistent that a person could be required to serve for their country at 18 but not be allowed to buy a drink.

Dr Hutchison said he would reconsider his position if there was strong evidence that returning the drinking age to 20 showed clear advantages over the status quo.

"It's a bit to premature to say this is the most effective method when we haven't got the full results of the paper. What really is needed in New Zealand is wider social responsibility to drink driving at all ages."

Alac deputy chief executive Sandra Kirby said the organisation believed the minimum purchase age should be 20 but said the real issue was who was supplying the alcohol.

"As well as legislation the bigger change has to be in the role of adults in supplying teenagers," she said.

Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor, who opposed lowering the drinking age, said simply changing it back to 20 would not solve the problem. Alac had recently launched a major culture change programme aimed at cutting down alcohol-related harm.

Mr Robson's bill would provide the opportunity for a full discussion.

Voting on the drinking age is a conscience vote.

* Prime Minister Helen Clark: - didn't vote for lowering the drinking age and voted for Matt Robson's bill to return the age to 20

* National leader Don Brash: - was not in Parliament when the drinking age was lowered but voted against Matt Robson's bill

* Green Party: - conscience vote, co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons opposed lowering the age in 1999 but says it would be pointless to raise it again

* Maori Party: - committed to increasing the purchase age to 20

* United Future: - wants purchasing age increased to 20

* Act: - conscience vote for MPs

* Progressives - Matt Robson's bill before the law and order select committee to increase drinking age to 20, supported by party

* New Zealand First: - wants the drinking age returned to 20