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Cut-price happy hours, the drinking age and dodgy bar owners are all in the firing line in a new report into New Zealand's drinking culture.
The Law Commission was last year given the job by the government of reviewing the Sale of Liquor Act and its report says New Zealand is a nation of boozers.
The Commission considered the contribution of excessive use of alcohol to law and order problems, serious health and injury, and other social harms and says steps need to be taken to make Kiwis sober up.
A few beers after work on a Wednesday night should not hurt anyone but such a scene recently proved an eye-opener for Commission head Sir Geoffrey Palmer, who witnessed 17 people being arrested.
"There was a team policing unit of 15, there was mayhem everywhere by 2.00am, people were falling over, they were drunk, there was fighting," Palmer says.
Now the Law Commission hopes it can open everyone's eyes to what it says is our serious drinking problem.
One recommendation targets youth drinking, by raising the drinking age to 20 for bottle store sales. But that idea has fallen flat with the Justice Minister.
"I don't think that that recommendation comes without complications, so we'll just see what the submissions are," Simon Power says.
The Commission recommends making low-alcohol drinks cheaper and also wants to cut down on cut-price promotions aimed at young drinkers - promotions which clearly work.
And it wants to close pubs earlier. But Jet Bar manager Andre Kocis says that will just create a worse problem, with more people out the streets drinking and causing fights.
The Commission also wants to scrap and replace the 20-year-old Sale of Liquor Act. Alac chief executive Gerard Vaughan says with several amendments over the years, sometimes the different laws start working against each other or "even contribute to some of the harm that we're now experiencing".
Palmer says the commission is "not proposing a return to wowserism, but the preliminary evidence suggests the time has come to review the policy settings, to reduce the excesses and curb the harm".
He says that view was supported by judges, medical specialists and police.
The options put forward by the commission are:
- a completely new Sale of Liquor Act
- measures aimed at curbing harmful drinking, targeting cheap alcohol products
- reducing excise tax on low alcohol products
- reducing hours in which alcohol can be purchased
- a split purchase age for alcohol, making it 18 on premises, and 20 at off licences
- expanding criteria under which liquor licences can be declined, and expanding conditions that they have to meet
- introducing graduated licence fees, so that low-risk operators were not unfairly burdened.
The Law Commission has created an online consultation website to generate public discussion on the issues. Check out www.talklaw.co.nz .
Do we need to change the law to make it more difficult to buy alcohol or are the actions of a minority spoiling things for the majority? Share your thoughts on the messageboard below.
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Post new commentBoozeviews said on 2009-08-03 @ 11:58 NZDT: Report abusive post
Have your say! Tell us what you think about the Law Commissions ideas for reform to New Zealands Liquor Laws! Discuss issues in forum discussions at http://www.talklaw.co.nz/liquor or send us an online submission.
tigertamer said on 2009-07-31 @ 21:21 NZDT: Report abusive post
The most stupid law to be considered. If we are going to supply people from liquor outlets at age 20 then it should be the same age restrictions at bars etc. as far as the comment from d.j. he or she needs to realise that whatever the price people will abuse the system - get a life!
Student18 said on 2009-07-31 @ 14:46 NZDT: Report abusive post
It wont help at all. There are already underage people getting ahold of alcohol there will just be an uprise in that. when you think about it there are 15 16 17 year olds getting it from shops or other people. you can add 18 19 on to that if you do change it. I seldom drink or go clubbing but i do know what goes on. And what is the point in the splitting of ages? if 18 year olds can get it from clubs why not let them have it at the shops?
d.j said on 2009-07-30 @ 21:50 NZDT: Report abusive post
One of solutions is to increase tax so that government will get more income and put the money to public health system.
simonrose81 said on 2009-07-30 @ 19:34 NZDT: Report abusive post
How will lowering the drinking limit helping lessen the drinking culture? Those who are going to drink will be over the limit that is present, those who wish not to offend will not drink at drive at all. It is important that the government aims to reduce the amount of drink consumed by an individual. This could be done through a limit to the amount an individual can buy in public.