Young People and Alcohol

In 1999 the legal age for purchasing alcohol was lowered from 20 to 18 years. Since then there has been regular publicity about the worsening drinking habits of young people. We hear of children of 12 and 13 who have ready access to alcohol and drink in public places. Binge drinking among the under 18s is mentioned frequently. Sample newspaper headlines are "They're 14 and they're boozers", "Binge culture must change", "Teen drunks - where's the tough line", "Sex attacks grow as teens binge drink". In letters to the editor and in articles there are calls to raise the drinking age to 20 again. Typical headlines are "Views sought on returning drinking age to 20", "Youth workers question drink law", Teenage drinking report may prompt law change".

Concerned about what they were reading and hearing but wanting to know the facts of the matter, the Lower Hutt Branch of NCW set up a study group on the topic of young people and alcohol. The group decided to prepare a paper, for the information of Branch members, on the issues surrounding young people and alcohol. The paper would also be circulated to the wider membership of NCWNZ to assist with the development of NCW policy in this area.

This paper is the result of the study group's work. It covers documented changes in the behaviour of young people with respect to their use of alcohol since the 1989 Review of the Sale of Liquor Act; the law regarding the legal aspects of control of the supply of alcohol; the law and other factors affecting demand for alcohol among young people; political aspects of alcohol control and finally some recommendations for change. These could form the basis for new NCWNZ policy on alcohol and young people.

In preparing the paper we have drawn heavily on the work of the Auckland University Public Health Research Unit (APHRU) led by Professor Sally Casswell. Professor Casswell is internationally recognised for the quality of her research in this area and in particular for her research on the effects of liquor advertising on young people. We also made considerable use of the Alcohol Advisory Council's (ALAC) research and information. Other especially useful papers have been the 2002 Justice Department report," Some Statistics on the Possible Effects of Lowering the Drinking Age" and a Police research report, "Tackling Alcohol Related Offences in New Zealand".

In addition, the group has drawn on articles in local and national newspapers and magazines, material provided by speakers at the 2002 Stout Research Seminars on the issues surrounding alcohol use, and speakers from ALAC and the Regional Public Health Team who attended our local Branch meetings. We have also studied the work of GALA (Group against Liquor Advertising), Alcohol Health Watch and other community groups working to address specific problems arising from the consumption of alcohol in society.

Overseas sources provided more information regarding the way in which very similar problems existing in the USA, Europe, S. Africa and Australia are being tackled.