Tanczos Nandor: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Tanczos Nandor: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:617;Page:13063] 
9.  
NANDOR TANCZOS (Green) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Health 
: What evidence does he have that raising the drinking age is an effective means of reducing binge drinking by teenagers? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Associate Minister of Health) 
: 
 The New Zealand Drug Foundation the Ministry of Health the Alcohol Advisory Council and other public health organisations were opposed to lowering New Zealand’s drinking age based on researched evidence of increases in alcohol-related harm when the drinking age was lowered in Australia Canada and the United States of America. When Canada and the United States again raised their drinking age alcohol-related harm decreased. There was a decrease in the use of alcohol among teenagers in the United States that persisted into their early twenties. A comprehensive analysis carried out in the year 2000 of published United States research found that raising the drinking age appeared to be more effective than a wide range of other strategies aimed at reducing youth drinking. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: Does the Minister agree that the current age limit is not being enforced adequately and what is the Government doing to ensure a crackdown on outlets that sell alcohol to underage people given that it seems sensible to enforce the present age limit before seeking to amend the legislation? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I think that many members in the House today who were here when the drinking age was lowered will remember the commitments made about enforcing the lower age. The truth is that offences committed by an even younger age group than 18 are increasing and the police have reported that with serious concerns. Therefore one has to say that whether enforcement has been carried out or not and it looks as though it has been much more difficult than the police indicated to the select committee the whole procedure has been a dismal failure and we need to readdress it. 
Darren Hughes 
: Does the Minister have any evidence that lowering the drinking age has increased abuse? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: The Ministry of Justice report into the consequences of lowering the drinking age showed that of those in the 14-to-17 age category especially who did drink significant numbers were drinking more and more often. Police evidence cited in the report showed that frontline police have had to deal with rising numbers of drunk and disorderly teenagers since the drinking age was lowered in 1999 with the number of minors dealt with by police on alcohol-related matters increasing from 834 incidents in 1994 to 2597 in 2002. My instinct is that if we had the latest figures they would be even worse than that. 
Dail Jones 
: In view of the Minister’s admission today what support will he now give to the repeal of the port and sherry tax which was introduced to reduce binge drinking by teenagers but has only reduced the enjoyment of life by older New Zealanders and put some winemakers into financial difficulty? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: The increase in excise duty on the content of alcohol in liquor sold has been extraordinarily successful. [ 
Interruption 
] I do not want to get the facts in the way of anyone’s prejudice but the consumption of light spirits at which the duty was targeted has been reduced by 83 percent. I would have thought that that was a victory in anyone’s language. 
Paul Adams 
: Does the Minister agree that a common-sense solution to combat youth binge-drinking would be to raise the age at which young people can purchase alcohol from bottle stores supermarkets dairies etc. to 20 years but retain the current provisions allowing 18-year-olds to drink at bars and restaurants as these are controlled venues; if not why not? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Campaigns have been carried out at a local level to reduce the purchase of liquor at bottle stores and liquor outlets and to some extent these have shown some success. However the truth is that the advice of the Ministry of Health to me is that evidence from everywhere around the world shows that raising the drinking age is the single most effective way of reducing teenage drinking and I recommend that to the House. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: Can the Minister confirm that the Ministry of Justice report  
Young People and Alcohol: Some Statistics to 2002 on Possible Effects of Lowering the Drinking Age 
 which was released recently shows that in New Zealand the numbers of young people drinking has not significantly increased as a result of lowering the age limit and that this evidence suggests a need for us to address the culture of binge drinking through a number of mechanisms—for example looking at price incentives promoting messages of moderation promoting alternatives to alcohol and tackling ready-to-drink drinks? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I accept that New Zealand has a culture of heavy drinking and I regret that. The truth is that a lot of young people do not invent it for themselves; they emulate other people who should also look very hard in the mirror. While this is a complex area every piece of evidence that I have in front of me as Associate Minister of Health tells me that the one single thing that can simply be done to keep a simple approach to this because it is a complex matter is to raise the drinking age and again I will proselytise for that in every place I can. 
Gerrard Eckhoff 
: Has the Minister heard of United Future’s Judy Turner’s proposal of lifting the age to 19 years and does he think this is a good common-sense solution? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Any step to send a message that drinking at a lower and lower age is not a good idea for young New Zealanders would be acceptable to me. I suggest that the House dealt with the age of 20 and lowered it to 18 on the basis that this would work. In my view the evidence suggests it has not worked and therefore I think we should readdress it on that basis. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: Will the Minister support another simple measure to address the culture of binge drinking and will he vote for my member’s bill to reinstate the ban lifted by a previous National Government on broadcast advertising of alcohol if it should be drawn from the ballot? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: If that were a conscience issue in the House I would vote for it. We cannot have double standards. If we do not believe that drinking at a younger and younger age is a good idea then we should not agree that people can promote it as though it were. 
Ron Mark 
: I seek the leave of the House to ask a further supplementary question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to ask a further supplementary question on New Zealand First’s allocation. Is there any objection? There is no objection so the member is permitted to ask his question. 
Ron Mark 
: Does the Minister believe that a ban on broadcast alcohol advertising would address the increasing number of minors dealt with by police for drinking in public places which has reached a staggering 2597 in 2002 or does he believe a law changing the legal drinking age back to 20 as provided in my colleague Bill Gudgeon’s member’s bill to be a more appropriate means of addressing this problem? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Again I reiterate to the House that although measures such as reduction in advertising have personal support from me the evidence I have in front of me from the Ministry of Health is that the single most effective thing that the House could do if we are really seriously concerned about this is to raise the drinking age back to 20. 
Ron Mark 
: I seek leave to move a motion without notice or debate relating to the addition on to the Order Paper at the first available time of the Sale of Liquor (Increase the Drinking Age) Amendment Bill currently in the members’ ballot sponsored by Bill Gudgeon. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to do that. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: During my supplementary question to the Minister I referred to alternatives to alcohol. I seek leave to table one example I found in Amsterdam which is alcohol-free beer. I should also add that it is very good. 
Sample by leave laid on the Table of the House.