NZMA: New liquor law ‘inadequate’

29 January 2013
Australian Medicine

The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) has protested at the inadequacy of the new anti-liquor legislation passed by the Parliament just before Christmas.

The legislation restricts promotion of alcohol products in supermarkets and convenience stores and requires parental consent to minors consuming alcohol.

But, according to the NZMA, it falls well short of what is needed to combat “the pernicious effects of excessive alcohol consumption that we see every day in New Zealand”.

In a submission on the legislation to the Parliament, the NZMA had called for increased taxation on alcohol, a return to the minimum purchase age for alcohol to 20 years, and regulation against “irresponsible” promotions that encouraged excessive consumption or purchase of alcohol.

NZMA President Dr Paul Ockelford said that the Association was hugely disappointed that Parliament had gone against this and other informed advice. “An opportunity has been missed to make a substantial difference to the toll of human misery that alcohol takes on our society,” he said.

“The NZMA remains strongly committed to raising the level of professional awareness of medical practitioners to achieve early detection and treatment for patients who may have problems with alcohol.

“Patients suffering from alcohol dependence need early detection and full diagnosis for treatment to be effective.

“But all the treatment in the world can’t make up for the lack of leadership shown on this matter by Parliament.”