The cost of youth drinking

A new report, released by the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand, claims that the deaths of sixteen young people in that country in the year 2000 were caused by the drinking age being lowered to 18.

The report was ALAC's assessment of the health impacts of the 1999 Sale of Liquor Amendment Act and also found that the law change may have cost more than $50 million in deaths and injuries in the year 2000 alone. It says there may have been some 145 alcohol-related injuries, which would not otherwise have occurred.

The figures are estimates, based on extrapolations from overseas data, but they are backed by a recent Auckland Hospital study that found the number of drunk 18 and 19-year-olds treated at Accident and Emergency doubled in 2000.

The study comes as seven Christchurch liquor outlets were banned from selling alcohol for up to five days for selling drink to under-18 year olds.

However, recent road toll figures show alcohol-related fatal crashes involving 18 and 19-year-old drivers are on the way down, halving since the mid 1990s. The Beer, Wine and Spirits Council, whose members are Lion Nathan and DB Breweries, is questioning whether the year 2000 findings might be a statistical blip, suggesting that perhaps young people indulged their new freedom very heavily in that first year after the law change.

Tim Harding, who is the chief executive of national alcohol and drug treatment provider Care NZ, says their clinics' clientele is definitely getting younger. He says while the trend has been around for a while, the lower drinking age has not helped.

Mike MacAvoy of ALAC says he would like to see stronger and more consistent enforcement of the existing laws, and a crackdown on alcohol advertising and sponsorship. He adds that parents also need to take some responsibility for keeping their teenagers safe.