15 April 2005

Hon Matt Robson MP, Progressive Deputy Leader

Drinking age should rise as an urgent public health measure

The New Zealand Medical Journal's research report on alcohol consumption released today, which concludes that the drinking age should be raised to twenty as an urgent public health measure, should be acted upon by Parliament, says Progressive MP Matt Robson.

"I have drafted a Bill to raise the drinking age to twenty and to strengthen the law on alcohol advertising.

"At last count, around forty MPs said they might support my Bill, with the remainder either opposed to raising the drinking age or alternatively sitting on the fence.

" I'll be sending a copy of the Journal's latest public health research to all those MPs still making up their minds so that they have better empirical evidence at hand before they make their decisions," the Progressive MP said.

ENDS

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