Last Monday VUWSA presented a proposal on the Alcohol Reform Bill to the Justice and Electoral Law Committee.
The Alcohol Reform Bill is a polarising contemporary political debate in which everyone agrees that controls or changes should be made. VUWSA have taken it upon themselves to voice the concerns of students by lodging a proposal, essentially going in to bat for us students.
In their submission VUWSA argued that lifting the initial purchase age from 18 to 20 will not stop problem drinking. The key reason behind this proposal is that it lowers the chance of minors being supplied with alcohol.
VUWSA argued that this point is moot, because in the majority of high profile cases of alcohol abuse by minors in the past two years it was the parents who had supplied the alcohol and then provided inadequate supervision.
The submission also argued that lifting the legal purchasing age would be hypercritical—18 and 19-year-olds are deemed competent enough to vote so surely they should also be deemed to be competent enough to purchase and consume alcohol in a responsible fashion.
VUWSA also disputed the idea of default trading hours, particularly the closure of bars at 4am. They argue that alongside the logistical problems such as a lack of taxi availability, if everyone is put on the street at the same time in their intoxicated state there is an increased chance of violence.
In response to the proposed price increases VUWSA stated that some people acting poorly while intoxicated is not sufficient justification to price alcohol out of reach for the majority who do consume responsibly, especially students who are generally on the lower end of the income spectrum.
To conclude their proposal VUWSA stated that the most effective ways to combat alcohol abuse include raising alcohol awareness through education, and reforming legislation so as to ensure more accountability for those who do drink irresponsibly.