New Zealanders Regret Lowering Drinking Age

It has been 10 years since New Zealand’s alcohol purchasing age was lowered from 20 to 18. Overall, do you believe this has had… ?

A positive effect on New Zealand society	5%
A negative effect	74%
No effect at all	17%
Both a positive and negative effect	1%
Don’t know	4%

The Law Commission has recently reviewed New Zealand’s alcohol laws. One of the recommendations they have made is a split purchasing age, where 18 year-olds can buy alcohol in bars and restaurants, but you have to be at least 20 to buy alcohol from liquor outlets and other off-license premises. Do you agree or disagree with this recommendation?

Agree	51%
Disagree	46%
Neither	2%
Don’t know	1%

Source: Research New Zealand
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 500 New Zealand voters, conducted from Sept. 8 to Sept. 10, 2009. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.