Visiting alcohol expert puts case to MPs

There is compelling international evidence that increasing the legal alcohol purchasing age reduces harm and saves lives, a United States professor and alcohol expert has told MPs.

Professor Tom Babor from the University of Connecticut and Professor Sally Caswell, director of Shore (Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation) told Parliament's Justice and Electoral select committee today that international research showed lifting the legal purchase age, the use of tax initiatives, and advertising and marketing restrictions were the most effective ways to reduce alcohol-related harm.

They were speaking to the justice and electoral select committee on the Sale and Supply of Liquor and Liquor Enforcement Bill, which was introduced under Labour but stalled while the Government considered soon-to-be-announced changes to alcohol laws.

The bill aims to reduce the proliferation of outlets able to sell alcohol in communities.

Prof Babor said his evidence had been pulled together by a group of scientists from a range of international research on alcohol issues.

In the US, the legal purchasing age went from 21 back to 18 in the 1970s and there was a notable increase in a range of alcohol-related problems, particularly road fatalities, he said.

Individual states were later given incentives to lift the age back to 21 and all eventually did so as social scientists observed the effects.

"When it was changed back the reverse occurred and state by state we could see the trends of reducing late night traffic fatalities, in addition to other problems as well...It's not a randomised trial, but it is very compelling evidence nevertheless."

Prof Babor said the evidence suggested it had led to 5000 to 6000 lives being saved each year from alcohol overdose and crashes.

Turning to tax, he said there were examples in Scandinavian countries where alcohol had been taxed in line with alcohol content, leading to the growing popularity of mid-strength beer and a reduction in binge drinking behaviour.

Increasing excise tax on alcohol was dismissed as an unattractive option by the National Party soon after a Law Commission report on alcohol harm was released in April.

Whether or not the legal purchasing age stays at 18, goes to 20 or is split in terms of being able drink in bars or buy from off-licences, is set to go to a conscience vote.

Prof Caswell talked today about advertising and marketing, saying it had become extremely sophisticated in recent years with few controls in many countries. It was subversively having a huge impact on the habits of young people.

Specifically, marketing relating to alcohol enticed people to drink earlier and to a greater extent.

Self-regulation guidelines had often proven to have been ineffective and violated by those they applied to. A regime was needed where loopholes couldn't be exploited.

Responding to a question from National MP and committee chair Chester Borrows about political fallout from tightening alcohol controls, Prof Babor said he had not seen any examples of societal backlashes against changes unless extreme measures such as prohibition were taken.