F&B column
04 August 2006

Giant leap backwards

Parliament must now decide whether New Zealand takes a big leap backwards. Raising the purchase age for alcohol from 18 to 20 would be a giant step backwards and impede the positive progress which is being made in changing New Zealand’s drinking culture, and in making individuals responsible for their own consumption.

It is naive to suggest that penalising 18 & 19 year olds by preventing them from being able to purchase alcohol will fix the ills associated with society and the misuse of alcohol. It seems that some MPs want to blame the normalisation of the age of purchase at 18 in 1999 with all that is wrong with NZ society and particularly the youth. I am sure they believe that Generation Y are the way they are because the age was normalised at 18. Surely the increased availability of cheap powerful imported motor vehicles driven by 15 16 & 17 year olds is a more important factor in youth road accidents than normalising the age of alcohol purchase at 18.

Those intent on turning the clock back also seem to have forgotten that in 1999 beer was added to supermarkets and corner stores.

The Hospitality Association has made strong submissions to the Select Committee setting out the case for the age of purchase to remain at 18. On all points of logic, that should be the decision of our Members of Parliament. Unfortunately this is a conscience vote and the indications are that some Parliamentarians are following emotion rather than logic, emotion rather than common sense, and an attitude of “I know best” rather than fostering individual responsibility.

The Select Committee is due to report back to Parliament by 30 September and meantime, all hospitality operators and those with an interest in NZ not taking a leap back into the dark ages should be ensuring that their local Member of Parliament exercises their conscience vote in favour of the status quo. Anything else will be making scapegoats of our 18 & 19 year olds.