Lower drinking age opposed

Press, 21 May 1987, Page 6

Lower drinking age opposed

PA Wellington The Licensing Trust Association wants underage drinkers to face stiffer penalties. Publicans are heavily penalised, but this was the wrong way round, said the president of the association, Mr Keith Eddy. “A barman may not even be aware that an under-age drinker is on the premises,” Mr Eddy said. “There should be sterner penalties for those who know they are breaking the law.”

At its annual conference, the association rejected the proposal of lowering the legal drinking age to 18. Problems of young people drinking and driving meant public opinion was against lowering the legal age, Mr Eddy said. A few years ago lowering the age was generally

favoured. The association rejected many of the proposals in the report of the working party on liquor, chaired by Sir George Laking, published in October. The Laking report put the onus on the manager of premises in the final analysis, not the offender. While under-age drinkers could only be fined a maximum of $lOOO, the publican or manager could be fined anything from $2OOO to $5OOO, Mr Eddy said. The Laking report also did not allow for family bars, which worked well.

The association made its own submissions to Parliament on changes to the liquor laws. However, presentation of the bill to the House was not expected until after the General Election, Mr Eddy said.