THE PRESS FRIDAY, JULY 11, 1980. A lower drinking age?

Press, 11 July 1980, Page 12

THE PRESS FRIDAY, JULY 11, 1980. A lower drinking age?

If the legal drinking age is lowered from 20 to 18, as proposed in the new Sale of Liquor Bill, the change will make legal the present illegal drinking of a good many young people aged 18 and 19. To change a law which is frequently broken and difficult to enforce would seem to be good sense, were it not that the change will create problems perhaps even greater than those it seeks to overcome. If 18-year-olds can drink legally, the difficulties of detecting and preventing under-age drinking will be shifted down to 15 arid 16-year-olds.

As matters stand now, hotel staff and licensees have difficulty in assessing the age of customers, especially when those customers use older friends to buy their drinks. The community has not pressed for the introduction of an age or identity card which would settle the matter. Yet if even younger people are to have access to liquor in hotel bars, it will be more important to have the law enforced rigorously. Any change in the law which promotes the potentially lethal combination of youth, drink, and driving should be treated with grave concern by the community. The sponsors of the bill have still to put forward arguments in favour of lowering the drinking age. The general sentiment among the police and the health services—those who must patch up the results of excessive drinking among all age groups—appears to be opposed to a lower drinking age. While the hotel trade might see advantages in the prospect of more legal customers, many hotel proprietors will probably also agree that the problems posed by younger and younger drinkers are hardly worth the extra revenue. If Parliament is to approve a lower age, this will have to be reconciled with the Prime Minister’s statement in the Budget that taxes on liquor were being increased to help meet the problems created by the consumption of alcohol. Many people under the age of 20 have ready access to liquor now. Those between is and 20' can drink legally when accompanied by a parent or spouse. Many people under 20 have

access to liquor through sports clubs. The clubs might argue that if the law is to be broken, it is much better that youngsters do their drinking among older people they know, and who can be expected to exercise some control. The argument is no real justification for the attitude of some clubs in making drinks available to under-age players and supporters, but it is probably correct that behaviour in sports clubs is easier to manage than it is in most public bars. The first experience with liquor should be in the best possible environment of parental control. The hotel trade itself should not be expected to take the responsibility. The trade probably does not want this responsibility and should not have the responsibility forced, upon it. Bar staff have enough problems already. Most would probably prefer youngsters to acquire some experience and discipline with liquor elsewhere.

Young people are drawn to hotels now not only for the drinks, but also for the music and entertainment which many offer. Alternative entertainment, or any entertainmerit not associated with liquor, can be hard to find. Some older “dry” forms of entertainment have all but died, either because their patronage declined, or the organisers found their customers insisted on introducing alcohol.

The Sale of Liquor Bill is going before Parliament’s Statutes Revision Committee where all those interested will have an opportunity of making their views known. The Government and the Opposition have said that members will be free to vote as their consciences dictate when the bill comes back before the House. The bill might provide an opportunity for members of Parliament, and for those making submissions, to consider the wider question of the entertainment available to young people outside hotels. A strong inclination to keep the drinking age as it is will be more readily acceptable if it is accompanied by sensible ideas on how young people might fill their leisure time without resorting to the prop of alcohol.