Splitting the alcohol purchase age: gambling with youth health.

摘要

In July 1999, the New Zealand parliament voted 59:54 in favour of reducing the minimum purchase age for alcohol (often referred to as the 'drinking age') from 20 to 18 years. Prior to this vote, several submissions had been made by public health agencies and researchers advising the government not to lower the, purchase age. This advice was based on research1 evidence from studies conducted in the United States,"'*1 Canada and Australia, which indicated that an increase in traffic crashes involving young people would probably occur [3 -6].