Sad facts changed MP's mind on drinking age

As Matt Robson sat in his parliamentary office late one night last year poring over reports, he became increasingly concerned.

The papers were about the health effects of lowering the drinking age and the evidence presented was not what the Progressive Party deputy leader had expected.

In 1999, Mr Robson had voted in favour of lowering the drinking age to 18, but as he read the reports he realised he had made a mistake.

He had favoured a lower age because he reasoned that if you were old enough to vote at 18, you should be allowed to buy a bottle of wine.

He had also lived in the Netherlands, where the drinking age was 16 for buying beer and 18 for spirits, and he had noticed Dutch people in general had a healthier relationship with alcohol than New Zealanders.

And he had thought there would be adequate education and enforcement of age restrictions.

Five years later, as Mr Robson read the reports from Alcohol Healthwatch and the Ministry of Health, he realised "what I thought might happen - that there would be an improvement - proved to be the reverse".

He has drafted a private member's bill to return the drinking age to 20 and to restrict alcohol advertising.

On Wednesday his bill, the Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction) Bill, was drawn in the members' ballot and should get its first reading next month.

Mr Robson says he is receiving considerable encouragement from various MPs.

In 1999, the issue was hotly debated before being passed 59-54.

In March this year, a Herald on Sunday poll of the 120 MPs found 42 were in favour of returning the drinking age to 20, 44 wanted it to remain at 18, 12 were undecided and 22 did not respond.

Mr Robson said he was confident his bill would pass its first reading because of the weight of scientific evidence and strong public support to return the drinking age to 20.

"Hopefully the members of Parliament will say, 'It is my responsibility to look at the evidence'. The public health evidence is very important. I wouldn't vote for this if there wasn't the evidence."

Mr Robson knows his stance will not help his popularity with those 18 to 20 - he has two teenage sons.

"But to me it is not a matter of trying to stop people having fun. I want them to live so they can have fun."

* ROBSON BILL

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

* Return the legal drinking age to 20.

* Limit all TV advertising of alcohol to after 10pm.

* Make the Broadcasting Standards Authority the watchdog for alcohol advertising.