ALAC considering relook at alcohol advice

The Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) says it is timely to consider within its current advice on young peoples’ drinking whether to include an age below which young people should not drink.

New Australian drinking guidelines released today recommend no alcohol for anyone under 18-years- old.

Mr Vaughan said ALAC’s advice to parents was they should try to delay their children starting to drink alcohol for as long as possible.

“We now have this Australian research saying teenagers under 18 should not drink,” he said. “This follows the release of a consultation document earlier in the year from the United Kingdom warning that children under 15-years-old should never be given alcohol - even in small amounts.

“Locally we have research from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study at the University of Otago that found young people using alcohol or other drugs before the age of 15 more than doubles the risk of damaging their health into adulthood.”

Mr Vaughan said it was timely to ask the question of whether a set age should be part of ALAC’s advice on teenage drinking.

The Australian guidelines also recommend no more than two drinks a day for both men and women and no more than four drinks on a single occasion. They have also reversed earlier advice to pregnant woman and now advise no alcohol during pregnancy.

Mr Vaughan said ALAC’s Upper Limits for responsible drinking recommend no more than six drinks for men and four for women on a single occasion and no more than 21 for men and 14 for women a week, plus at least two alcohol free days a week.

““These Upper Limits are only general guidelines,” he said. “Some people should not drink at all, for example, those with certain medical conditions, on medication or those with a dependence problem. ALAC advises pregnant women or those attempting to get pregnant to avoid all alcohol. It is good to see the new Australia guidelines now give the same advice.

“Our advice is focused on limiting binge drinking, that is going out and getting drunk, which is the most hazardous drinking pattern in this country. This focus differs from the new Australian guidelines which focus on low risk drinking over a life time.”

Mr Vaughan said it might be timely to look at the Australian evidence and consider its relevance for New Zealand.