The Law Commission’s ‘Alcohol in our Lives’ Issues Paper was released today. My copy arrived at 11:45 so I haven’t had much of a chance to go through it yet but suffice to say Lianne Dalziel and I will be giving the report very serious consideration. Any discussion welcome here and I’ll post again when I’ve digested some of the material.
As a poor person, who only has a couple of drinks at the bar with my mates, I’m not happy with the idea of the price of
alcohol being increased. It’s all very well for the likes of Geoffery Palmer to say this – but he has a good salary and can afford to drink socially. That’s my main concern.
I’m not sure about lowering the drinking age, most 18 year olds have left home and are either studying or working. Would raising the age mean that they would have difficulty accessing the same functions – say uni events – because they can’t be around alcohol? I also think that if 18 year olds can drink in bars that it would teach them better drinking habits than say drinking contraban at somebody’s party. Bar staff are trained to recognise intoxication and drinkers are able to buy individual drinks and know how much they are getting as opposed to sharing the same bottle of who knows what.
Since the increase of price in alcohol – around 2008 – many students haven’t been able to afford to drink in bars and so to save money they would get drunk and then go to bars later with more alcohol in them so that they wouldn’t have to spend as much money on their over priced drinks.
I also think that increasing the price of alcohol is really mean in a recession.
I don’t think that intoxication in a public place should be an offence. I’m sure there are a lot of people who don’t misbehave, but who may be intoxicated. They are not criminals.
Have your say! Tell us what you think about the Law Commission’s ideas for reform to New Zealand’s Liquor Laws!
Discuss issues in forum discussions at http://www.talklaw.co.nz/liquor or send us an online submission.
Naidene McClew
Law Commission