Should NZ raise the drinking age from 18 to 20 years old?

[nzbrewer]

How do you educate a whole population on how to consume a drug responsibly?

[Stu McKinlay]

Weird. Someone gave me this book yesterday!

[nzbrewer]

It's a great coffee table book. I read it over the summer at a friends place.

[Tony]

A great debate. I am in 2 minds about it, really. I agree with Greig's comments, on raising GST and lowering excise and PAYE.

But, it has been my anecdotal evidence that binge drinking and alcoholism (bad drinking habits), has increased in younger people, with the lowering of the drinking age. Basically, I don't really believe that we, as NZ'ers in general are really mature enough, to consume in a mature fashion. Yes it's education, but the problem is generational and it will take generations to improve. Along with the comments about voting, driving, getting married. Stupid people are still driving, voting and getting married, and some then invariably go on to make stupid decisions and costing us (tax payers) and society in general, a lot for their stupidity. Does this justify lowering the age (or raising it)?

This of course raises a further questions and debates, which have been going on for millenia.

I really don't have that answer.

[Glynn Foster]

I'd rather change the driving laws (and access to loans) than change the drinking age, with the hoons speeding down my road most weekends. You drink, you shoot your liver for a while and then you quickly grow up and be more responsible - it's a good life lesson.

[Stu McKinlay]

There actually is no drinking age. My boys will grow up being allowed a small drink of beer or cider with their meal. They already have the odd sip. This is not against the law. It is a purchasing age, rather than a drinking one. By the time my kids are old enough to buy (whether it is 18, 20 or 25), they will be mature enough to buy good beer from good breweries.


I will instill a hatred of RTDs in them while I'm at it ;-)

[JoKing]

Well said. Good strategy. I have similar plans for my feotus.

[jt]

It is a purchasing age, rather than a drinking one.

Isn't there also an element of supply in there. You can supply alcohol to your own under 18's - but not to someone else's

[Soren]

Exactly, this is what it's all about (in my view anyways): Parents educating their children to consume alcohol in a mature manner. The government can't do much about it, I certainly don't think its going to change anything raising taxes or the legal age. As it has been said, this only makes the booze more desirable.
Could "responsible alcohol consumption" be part of the curriculum at schools... I dont think so, not in the normal lecturing fashion anyways, that again would only make it cooler.

How about this: Homebrew classes at school!:) Well, it will probably never happen, but I do actually think it would help to show the kids where the alcohol comes from, and if you make it yourself you probably wont binge it, I know I never did.

[Stu McKinlay]

Responsible sex and drug education aren't working, so I wouldn't imagine it would for alcohol.

JT - I give it to other kids too. I just don't buy it for kids.

[Tony]

I aggree with you all. My offspring will enjoy a beer or wine, in moderation.

Read: stupid people=stupid parents

Fortunately, most of us do not fall into this category, but again unfortunately we are not the wider drinking public.

I don't think we need to get into the wider debate of drug abuse (of which alcohol belongs). But there are too many fuckwits out there who persist in fucking it up for the rest of us. What do you do about them?

[nzbrewer]

looks like the poll is going to run

1/3 in favour to raise the drinking age
2/3 not in favour

So RealBeer.co.nz says NO to raising the drinking age from 18 to 20 in New Zealand.