Lower drinking age opposed

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33370, 31 October 1973, Page 3

Lower drinking age opposed

tAett Zealand Press Association DUNEDIN. October 30. "An increasing' tendency to glamoi rise liquor,” and the liberalisation of liquor laws, came under attack at the Presbyterian General Assembly in Dunedin today.

“At the risk of losing our liberal image, the committee < is preparing submissions ! \ against extended hours. Sun- | day trading, reduction of the if drinking age, and the exten-lv -ion of types of retail out-It lets." the convener of they public questions committee i (Mr R. T. Feist, of Wellington) < told the assembly. ,t A joint submission on be- ‘ half of the Prebyterian and,i Methodist Churches would s be made to the Royal Com- r mission on liquor in Febru-, ‘ ary, Mr Feist said. c Although the church did Is not say that alcohol was [ evil and should be prohibited, t it was most concerned ;1 about the increasing tenden- 5 cy to glamorise liquor and i to link liquor with good and < useful human activities, atti- t tudes. and sport. r

The committee was concerned that a community which was prepared to legislate to restrict the sale of fireworks in the hope of preventing or reducing injury to children, and which expressed concern about the incidence of violence, should condone a liberalisation in the sale of alcohol. “We submit that alcohol is a drug and the control of sale of this drug remains a necessity,” Mr Feist said. “We are calling for controls on advertising, and we are supporting an education programme by Government agencies. including the Health, Education, and Social Welfare Departments, in the hope that people, and our youth in particular, will be better informed of the risks that they take.”