Drinking Age - Newses, Various Media, 06/01/2006

It was nice to see the media reporting what youth thought of a raised drinking age (Stuff, Radio Live, Newstalk ZB). Time after time interviews with parents, teachers and health 'experts' have dominated broadcasts and print. Now the Ministry of Youth have, to provide an outlet for youth opinion, set up an advisory group made up of 15 - 21 year olds - those who would actually be directly affected were the legislation to pass. Two members have just presented the group's opinions to the select committee hearing on the Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill. It's about time the media picked up that youth have ideas that deserve to be heard aswell. But it most certainly shouldn't have taken the entirety of a submission to a select committee by a Ministry of Youth created group, for the media to take note that those affected by the legislation also have opinions on it. Listening to the views of a sector of society which has no say in formal political society is crucial. Should the law pass this year, those who since the last election have turned 18 wouldn't have yet had the chance to vote. Hence, 18 year olds directly affected by the raising of the drinking age wouldn't have had any formal democratic input into a law that would constrain their rights as adults. And, it was exactly that, which this group of youth had concerns about - that their rights as fully grown individuals would be severely affected. The media hadn't reported on right constraints thus far, instead choosing to focus purely on health issues. The reason being of course, that those whose rights were being curtailed were never actually asked what they thought about it. As I noted in my previous post on the drinking age, the media have a conventional duty in a democratic society to air the diverse opinions of all sectors of society. It's nice to see those affected by the proposed changes to liquor legislation now being heard. But, they should've been listened to a long time ago, and more importantly, they must continue to have their views considered. PS. Thumbs down to the Herald, which reported on the all to familiar teenage binge drinking story instead.