New call to raise alcohol age

A jump in the number of alcohol-related admissions to hospital for children aged 10-14 has prompted a renewed call for the legal drinking age to be returned to 20.

Statistics from the Injury Prevention Research Unit at Otago University show admissions for that age group increased 87 per cent between two periods surveyed - from 39 admissions between 1997-99 and 73 admissions between 2000-2002.

Statistics for the same period also showed a 31 per cent rise in admissions for females of all ages, compared with a 5 per cent increase for males.

Alcohol Healthwatch director Rebecca Williams said levels of alcohol-related harm had increased since the legal drinking age was lowered to 18 in 1999.

"The younger the age that people start drinking, the less they are able to tolerate alcohol. Most of the alcohol-related admissions were for alcohol poisoning.

"Sometimes youngsters aged 10-14 are getting it at home ... which brings up a whole new issue around the security and supervision of alcohol in the home.

"Other times they get it from older siblings," she said.

Ms Williams said raising the age limit to 20 was a very effective strategy.

"People say 'oh, there were problems with young people and alcohol before the age limit was lowered', but the statistics across the board clearly show the problems are getting worse."

Ms Williams said the statistics did not include day patients or readmissions for the same problem.

An increase in the number of female admissions reflected the growth of products and advertising aimed at women.

Binge-drinking among women was an international trend in most Western societies.

"The female market was relatively untapped until a few years back, and the marketers will now continue to saturate that market the way they have for the male market all along," she said.

- NZPA