Pettis Jill: Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction: Purchase Age) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Pettis Jill: Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction: Purchase Age) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:635;Page:6354] 
JILL PETTIS (Labour) 
: 
 Alcohol is not just a youth issue. I am not willing to give up on the majority of young people who make a positive contribution to our society in many ways. I have been disturbed about the discussions that have taken place in many fora about returning the drinking age to 20 with its implications that it is young people’s drinking that has led to social decline in New Zealand. I do not believe this is the case. The current debate targets young people unfairly and for this and for many other reasons I will not vote to return the drinking age to 20 years. In 1999 I did not vote to lower the legal age for purchase of alcohol to 18. I am a member of the Law and Order Committee which heard 180 submissions. I am concerned about young people’s drinking and I have considered this bill and its implications very very carefully. 
Society seems to be united in its view that we have a very poor attitude towards alcohol consumption in New Zealand. The term binge drinking is frequently mentioned and we have heard it mentioned a lot here tonight. The actual title of the bill is Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction: Purchase Age) Amendment Bill. If we as a society are genuinely concerned about reducing harm for young people what are we as adults—who are legally able to purchase alcohol—going to do about modifying our behaviour so that we set a good example for the young people that we purport to be so concerned about? 
The Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand advises us accurately that alcohol is not just a youth issue; 60 percent of heavy drinkers are over 30. A recent global study of alcohol consumption shows that women in England and Ireland are the world’s biggest binge-drinkers. The study found that the heaviest drinkers tended to be from wealthy families with well-educated parents. Women who had consumed four or more drinks on at least one occasion in the previous 2 weeks were classified as heavy drinkers. Are members doing a quick mental calculation about their last fortnight’s behaviour? New Zealand’s attitudes towards alcohol consumption differs very little from those in England or Ireland given that most of us are descended from British and Irish stock. But we also need to recognise that our attitudes towards alcohol have prevailed for decades. This is not a new phenomenon. 
Although I do not support the bill I genuinely hope that it leads to an honest debate in all of our communities about how we may positively influence our attitude towards binge drinking and harmful consumption of alcohol. In the ongoing debate we may like to think about the following points. It is not the age we are drinking it is how we are drinking. Parents not 18-year-olds supply half of the alcohol that children drink. About 63 percent of parents say they set very strict rules about their children drinking alcohol; however only about 52 percent of them actually know when their children are drinking. 
The whole of society needs to support and promote education programmes that encourage safe drinking habits coupled with stronger penalties for breaking the law. In my patch earlier this month three licensed premises failed a police sting that used under-age volunteers. In some of the premises young volunteers were allowed to enter unhindered and were served alcohol without any problems at all. Under-age drinking can be better addressed through proper enforcement of alcohol sales. Current enforcement does work to stop persons under 18 purchasing alcohol in bars or bottle stores when that enforcement actually occurs. I say that more enforcement of the current law is needed rather than a change in the law. The vast majority of 18-year-olds are mature enough to consume alcohol responsibly and it is unfair to penalise them for the behaviours of 14 and 15-year-olds. Do not punish the 18-year-olds who are drinking legally. Changing attitudes towards drinking is everyone’s responsibility.