‘Law Adequate’ For Teen-Age Drinking

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31043, 26 April 1966, Page 18

‘Law Adequate’ For Teen-Age Drinking

(Hew Zealand Pres* Attociatton) WELLINGTON, April 25. The Minister of Justice (Mr Hanan) said today that in spite of an increase in teen-age drinking, the police regarded the law as adequate to cope with the problem at present.

He was releasing the police report on a teen-age drinking survey which he requested.

“The report shows that over the last few years there has been a steady increase inprosecutions of licensees and their employees for supplying liquor to minors,” said Mr Hanan.

“There has been a similar rise in prosecutions of minors for obtaining liquor unlawfully and for being in possession of liquor in a public place.” But the Minister said the police did not favour the introduction of identification cards. Mt Hanan said: "There is reason to suppose that a higher proportion of parents

are permitting moderate drinking by their older children. "This of itself does not give me cause for concern. The evil resides rather in excessive and unsupervised drinking by teen-agers,” he said. The Minister said the apparent increase in the incidence of unlawful drinking was disturbing, but added that a good deal of it was probably the inevitable result of great affluence and a change in the attitude of the community generally towards liquor. He said in spite of some suggestions to the contrary, the police were vigilant in enforcing the law prohibiting drinking by minors in hotels. The Minister said his chief objection to the introduction of identification cards was that they would have to be carried by adults rather than by minors. “The carrying of identification cards is repugnant to New Zealanders and to require their production could lead to antagonism between the public and the police,” he said. Mr Hanan concluded by saying he had no intention at present to introduce legislation tightening the law governing the supply of liquor to minors. The police report included

a chart showing the growth of the teen-age drinking problem. Offences for 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1965 have been:— Supplying liquor to minors. 156, 189, 203, 285. Minors found in bars, minors purchasing liquor, minors giving false information, 1251, 1438, 1623, 1961. Minors in possession of liquor in a public place, 825. 891, 1284. 1412. “The significance of the rise in prosecution figures is affected to some extent by the population increase and more so by the increased attention the police are giving to the matter." It said that the situation had not reached a stage calling for undue alarm. The report said it was not possible for the police to assess the amount of teen-age drinking that took place in private. “There could, of course, be illegality About the supply of the liquor but as long as the purchase is made by an adult, the police are not likely to hear of the offence,” it said. Referring to the issue of identification cards, the report said although the method would be ideal for the policing of hotels, “such a scheme would not prevent them from drinking liquor.”