NATS DEMAND STRONGER ENFORCEMENT OF LIQUOR LAWS

The National Party on Tuesday demanded tougher enforcement of drinking laws
after the Government said it was investigating the effect of Parliament's
decision to lower the age limit from 20 to 18.

Justice Minister Phil Goff said he had initiated an inquiry "some time ago"
because he had concerns about the impact of the change.

Parliament, on a conscience vote of all MPs, lowered the age limit in 1999.

Mr Goff was one of those who voted against it and he said among the things
he wanted measured were teenage car accidents, hospital admissions, youth
offending and school behaviour.

"What we need to do is clarify the extent to which trends have altered as a
result of the lowering of the drinking age," he said.

"New Zealand has a major problem with teenage binge drinking . . . it's not
a new problem but nor have I seen any evidence that the situation is
improving."

Mr Goff said he expected the Justice Ministry to report back in about a year.

National's justice spokesman Wayne Mapp, who supported the lower drinking
age when Parliament voted in 1999, said the problem was one of enforcement.

"Everyone I have spoken to, including police and local liquor licensing
inspectors, say there are no problems in bars and cafes," he said in a
statement.

"The real problem is that under-age youths consume large amounts of alcohol
in situations which are inadequately controlled, such as at wild parties or
in unsupervised locations such as beaches and parks.

"What is happening to the pubs and off-licences which sell alcohol to those
youths? If the law was being enforced we would see licence holders being
prosecuted and under-age drinkers being convicted - but we are not."

Prime Minister Helen Clark also voted against lowering the age limit when
Parliament decided on the law change, and she said she had been concerned
that doing so would make it easier for 15, 16 and 17-year-olds to access
alcohol.

But she said she did not think Parliament would easily reverse its decision.

"I would be less than frank with you unless I said I would not expect
Parliament to lightly overturn what it did," she told reporters.

Her comments followed a call from the New Zealand Medical Association
(NZMA) for a return to the legal age of 20.

NZMA chairman John Adams said teenagers already had a binge culture and
many did not hesitate to flout the law to drink under age.