Rudd wants rise in drinking age

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Photo / Greg Bowker

Kevin Rudd would like to see the drinking age in Australia raised from 18 to 21 years.

The Prime Minister said he would prefer an increase, given a recent series of tragic accidents involving P-plate drivers.

Since the start of the year 12 teenagers have been killed in cars driven by P-plate drivers in New South Wales and Victoria.

In one crash that killed five teenagers in Melbourne the 19-year-old driver had a blood alcohol level almost four times the legal limit.

A Preventative Health Taskforce report said that alcohol-related injuries killed four Australians aged under 25 weekly, and another by the Australian Institute of Criminology said almost half the juvenile prisoners included in a study of drugs and crime said they had been drunk when they committed offences.

Two years ago the Government launched a A$53 million ($65.1 million) campaign against binge drinking.

Rudd replied "of course" when asked if he would like the drinking age increased to 21 years.

"I believe in something called evidence-based policy, which is if the evidence is there and it's capable of being proven that it works, we take a look and these things and make a decision."

An internet poll on news.com.au yesterday showed 54.9 per cent support for lifting the drinking age, with 45.7 per cent opposed.