W.C.T.U. opposed to easier liquor laws

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33383, 15 November 1973, Page 7

W.C.T.U. opposed to easier liquor laws

Road deaths and crimes —especially in the younger age group—alcoholism in women, and younger alcoholics had all shown an increase with liberalisation of the liquor laws, the president of the New Zealand Women’s Christian Temperance Union (Mrs C. Polglase) told the Royal Commission on Liquor in Christchurch this week. The union, she said, advocated stricter control of access to liquor in the strong conviction that the health of the nation, and especially its youth, had suffered, and that this aspect was overlooked by those who wanted more liberal liquor laws.

“Rather than submit our nation to a more liberal access to this mind-changing drug, we ask that you discuss the dogma that alcohol has a necessary place in society, and work towards establishing a saner outlook," said Mrs Polglase. The World Health Organisation, she said, had drawn attention to the fact that crime, death, and accident rates varied in a given community according to consumption of alcohol, and that relaxed standards led to a rise in delinquency and in commitals to asylums and hospitals.

“GRAVE HAZARDS” “So the idea of bringing the liquor laws into line with what people are doing or want is wholly unrealistic when this is detrimental to the welfare of society,” Mrs Polglase said. “We are very concerned about the efforts being made to reduce the age for minors to obtain liquor. There are grave health hazards involved in adolescent drinking.” No minors under the age of 20 should be allowed to buy liquor and much greater efforts should be made to stop the supply of liquor to minors. Questions on bloodalcohol levels should be in-

eluded in tests for driving licences. There should be compulsory education in the schools on the effects of alcohol, and it should be illegal to market soft drinks with an alcoholic content. No-one, including entertainers, under the age of 20 should be allowed on licensed premises. “The Justice Department’s suggestion that parents should be allowed to take their children into bars is very bad, especially if bars are allowed to be open to midnight,” Mrs Polglase said. “Surely children are entitled to home life, and parents should be prepared to stay home to look after them. Hotel bars are not suitable environments for children.” That children were left outside hotel bars in cars or at home unattended could not be righted by permitting children to accompany parents to premises for drinking. Mrs Polglase suggested that it be an offence to leave children under the age of 12 in parked cars outside drinking centres, and that carparks be patrolled by the police or traffic inspectors.

With a record road toll in prospect the blood-alcohol level should be reduced to 50 mg, Mrs Polglase said. Random breath tests should be allowed, and concentrated on parking places round liquor outlets. Greater penalties for drinkng drivers, and licence cancellation for at least 10 years for drinking drivers causing death should be introduced. Cars should be confiscated for long periods. Advertising of liquor should be made illegal. Incessant radio commercials encouraging people to "stock up” for week-end parties must play a major part in week-end accidents, said Mrs Polglase, while television coverage of the wine and liquor industries, and the use of wine in food programmes, gave a false impression that liquor had an important, indispensable part to play in life. There should be no extension of liquor trading hours. Those who made great sums of money from the industry did not bear the burden of caring for alcoholics and their families.