What do you think the "drinking age" should be?

[Vgygrwr]

Some indications of size of the issue

25% of New Zealand drinkers are heavy drinkers
A third of all police apprehensions involve alcohol
Half of serious violent crimes relate to alcohol
60 different medical conditions caused by heavy drinking
Up to 75% of adult presentations at Emergency Departments on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights are alcohol-related
Over 300 alcohol-related offences every day
Over 500 serious and fatal injury traffic crashes every year
At least 600 children born each year with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
Over 1000 alcohol deaths every year
More than 17,000 years of life per year lost through alcohol

And below are some steps toward change. Suspect changing a culture that provides huge rewards to so many is

[MIXONE]

I reckon a good start would be the banning of RTDs.Let's face it the majority of them are aimed directly at the young market.

[p.dath]

The fact is that kids will always get their hands on alcohol and drink to excess.

Rather than changing the age, which will have close to zero effect, increasing the price of kids drinks such as 'Alchopops' etc will have a greater effect.

When the age limit was dropped to 18 it had a big effect. So I think raising it again will also have an effect.

[Vgygrwr]

These I believe are based on a World Health Organisation sponsored publication "Alcohol no ordinary commodity"

1.Raise alcohol prices.
2.Raise the purchase age.
3.Reduce alcohol accessibility.
4.Reduce marketing and advertising.
5.Increase drink-driving counter-measures.
PLUS: Increase treatment opportunities for heavy drinkers.

Afraid the concept of changing a culture are way behond my aging brain

[MSTRS:Me]

Where's the option for a sliding scale of 'eligibility'?
16 in a bar, under parental-type supervision, beer only (read as <5% alcohol content drinks)
18 in a bar, unsupervised, beer only
20 in a bottle store, beer only
21 can now purchase spirits.

The problem is not so much the age, as one of societal attitudes. The horse has bolted, so simply changing 'back to 20' isn't going to cut it. Legislate, and hammer transgressors, for responsibility towards consumption of alcohol.

[p.dath]

...
If you make the drinking age 20 per ce, then this will only lead to more theft related crimes, because the demand amongst teens to get alchohol would be fairly high. They could escalate ways of getting alchohol, and many arrests on persons under 20, because a huge portion of teenagers consume alchohol whether they are allowed or not. If lowered more drunk driving related crashes would sky rocket, assault etc and old folks fighting for the age to be made higher. Its a endless debate
...

I think the net effect of a higher drinking age is far greater. And I don't think it is a natural effect that demand for alcohol will change with a variation in the law for the drinking age.

You might as well sat make "P" legal otherwise.

[Winston001]

Where's the option for a sliding scale of 'eligibility'?
16 in a bar, under parental-type supervision, beer only (read as <5% alcohol content drinks)
18 in a bar, unsupervised, beer only
20 in a bottle store, beer only
21 can now purchase spirits.

The problem is not so much the age, as one of societal attitudes. The horse has bolted, so simply changing 'back to 20' isn't going to cut it. Legislate, and hammer transgressors, for responsibility towards consumption of alcohol.

Mmmm.....heroin and cocaine were lawful medicines until less than 100 years ago. In fact I think heroin was legal in the UK until the early 1960s. So bad stuff can be restricted.

Sorry but I have to disagree with your age suggestions. Laws need to be simple. One age - 16 - 18 - 20 whatever. Everyone knows where they stand.

[MSTRS:Me]

Mmmm.....heroin and cocaine were lawful medicines until less than 100 years ago. In fact I think heroin was legal in the UK until the early 1960s. So bad stuff can be restricted.

Might have been LSD...but, sure 'bad' stuff can be restricted. What's the age limit for buying Class A/B/C drugs?...oh, that's right, none. Those drugs are illegal. Can you see any govt banning alcohol?

Sorry but I have to disagree with your age suggestions. Laws need to be simple. One age - 16 - 18 - 20 whatever. Everyone knows where they stand.

Works elsewhere.
Going on your suggestion...why not 15. Can get a vehicle licence then. Might as well put the school leaving age back down while they are at it.

[Genestho]

Having made submissions as part of the National Alcohol plan, this is definately an area targeted! I have quite a few youth and alcohol related stats.

In an unreal world I'd suggest 21, like the states. (so can't vote here!)

When I was younger, I used to think, I could fight and die for my country, I could get married, but I couldn't legally drink??

But now I know the stats and the carnage on society, and I say raise it back to where it was.

Before licensing requirements - I bought my first alcoholic beverage at 14, from my local liquor store, and I was in pubs from 16.

IMHO - This will not stop parents, older family members and friends from purchasing the booze, and supervising drinking at home.

But hell, I bet it prevents alot of the carnage going on right now!

We can net the majority not the minority (As always)

[Winston001]

I'm also troubled by the belief that if the age is say 20, then 18yr olds will get alcohol anyway.

Yes of course a few will. Hell a few will also get some other drugs too. Because they want to and the illegality doesn't put them off.

But relying on older friends/brothers/parents is damned annoying and a long way from being able to freely enter a bar and drink all night.

When I were a lad (yeah yeah) there was no chance of buying any liquor cos I could barely shave. We got a dozen of beer if we could persuade someone to buy it for us. And if we had the money. And occasionally one or two of us were killed in countryside car accidents.

Plus if my parents had smelled alcohol on me I'd have been for the high jump. How oldfashioned.

[Deano]

Fark it. Lets bring back prohibition. I always aspired to be Al Capone.

[Dargor]

How about some MAN THE FUCK UP and take responsibility for yourself, or the younger selves amoungst us.

But in reality this is a non issue, nothing is going to change here. This is probably a smokescreen for some other law change.