Raising the Drinking Age?
There is a big push for the drinking age to be raised. Various organisations tell us the majority of NZ’ers support this move. And I guess anyone who works for or with young people, especially if they are church based would be expected to agree with this too.
Surprisingly then, I do not support the raising of the minimum drinking age to 20.
Why?
Because I do not see how it will do anything to address the issues it purports to solve. It will simply punish 18 + 19 year olds, who have not been a problem, as far as I have read.
The issue seems to be an increase in alcohol use and misuse among the younger adolescent age group. And this is a concern. But instead of jumping on to simple answers, we do need to ask why young people are binge drinking? What is it about adult society and being adult that they are imitating? This is a hard question that most adults are simply not willing to ask, and so we go for the soft option. Matt Robson’s Bill does address this issue insofar as it offers changes to the advertising regulations. So I do agree with these. It addresses the glamorizing of alcohol drinking, and the portrayal of being adult with alcohol use (and misuse). This is part of the problem. But we need to be more real that the bill and its supporters are being at present.
Matt Robson’s Bill will not address how 11-17 year olds get access to alcohol. It will not change shop owners who have been willing to sell alcohol to clearly under age drinkers. It will not change the inaction to police the Act as it is at the moment. It will not address the quality of alcohol education that is currently offered. It is simply a quick fix that will not work. We need to get real and then may be the issue of adolescent alcohol use and misuse can be taken seriously. This route makes us adults feel better, while victimising older adolescents, again.
What do others think?
Surprisingly then, I do not support the raising of the minimum drinking age to 20.
Why?
Because I do not see how it will do anything to address the issues it purports to solve. It will simply punish 18 + 19 year olds, who have not been a problem, as far as I have read.
The issue seems to be an increase in alcohol use and misuse among the younger adolescent age group. And this is a concern. But instead of jumping on to simple answers, we do need to ask why young people are binge drinking? What is it about adult society and being adult that they are imitating? This is a hard question that most adults are simply not willing to ask, and so we go for the soft option. Matt Robson’s Bill does address this issue insofar as it offers changes to the advertising regulations. So I do agree with these. It addresses the glamorizing of alcohol drinking, and the portrayal of being adult with alcohol use (and misuse). This is part of the problem. But we need to be more real that the bill and its supporters are being at present.
Matt Robson’s Bill will not address how 11-17 year olds get access to alcohol. It will not change shop owners who have been willing to sell alcohol to clearly under age drinkers. It will not change the inaction to police the Act as it is at the moment. It will not address the quality of alcohol education that is currently offered. It is simply a quick fix that will not work. We need to get real and then may be the issue of adolescent alcohol use and misuse can be taken seriously. This route makes us adults feel better, while victimising older adolescents, again.
What do others think?
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