PRIME MINISTER Kevin Rudd wants to see the legal drinking age in Australia raised to 21 years.

Talking on ABC Television's Q&A programme last night, Mr Rudd said that while he believes a higher drinking age could work to lower the number of P-Plater deaths, a comprehensive study would need to be undertaken to prove its worth.

If the evidence is there, Mr Rudd said, then the Government will look at making changes to the current drinking age laws.

The Prime Minister said that young adults being legally able to drink and to drive from around the same age, is a factor in P-Plater deaths on the road.

A study undertaken by national insurer AAMI in September last year showed alcohol to be a major contributing factor in road accidents involving young people, while instances of excessive speeding and drag racing appear to be on the rise.

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• reply ” like !

  

  Andrew says,
  2 years ago

  In a way, this makes sense, although it will take a long time to change the culture. Backyard parties will continue, drinking at mates places will continue and it is likely parents won't bat an eyelid because for so long, 18 has been the legal and accepted age of drinking.
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  Mr B says,
  2 years ago

  If they are going to lift the drinking age to 21 then we need to revise many things. How can we send 18 year olds to war and possibly die for their country if we can't let them drink
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  Dan says,
  2 years ago

  I've enjoyed (more than a few drinks) in California where the legal age is 21 and in British Columbia with a min age of 19. I was underage in both jurisdictions. The simple fact is college students in the States and Canada get pissed regardless of the legal age. If K Rudd wanted to lower P-Plate drink driving there needs to be better public transport in the wee hours and harsher penalties for driving above .05
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  Adrian says,
  2 years ago

  They have enough trouble enforcing the legal age at 18, going to be harder still if the age is 21.
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  Antonio Bighairaz says,
  2 years ago

  Raise the drinking age? They can't manage to enforce basic moving violations. Vicpotholes, I mean Vicroads, erroneously did not give P platers points, but naturally made sure to collect the fines! Some details are here: http://www.theage.com.au/national/bungle-allowed-fatality-driver-to-keep-licence-20100208-nna7.html
  
  So the Victorian government should have suspended the license of Steven Johnstone, the Mill Park killer. Government incompetence has resulted in the death of five people! I bet no one will even be sacked for this outrageous stupidity, and they expect anyone to take their initiatives seriously? The 2010 death toll would be lower if they could manage to just enforce the rules they already have.
  
  And I agree with Mr B, it make much more sense to treat adults as adults, not try to delay some rights while granting others. In the US you may drive at 16, serve in the military at 18, and have died in service to your country before reaching the drinking age of 21. Everything granted at 18 makes more sense, if people are given enough driving education to know better. Then one drink driving offence, license revoked.
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  Bavarian Missile says,
  2 years ago

  When I was on my Ps {a few years ago } it was 0 percent alcohol when driving . Should have stayed that way .
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  Adrian says,
  2 years ago

  BM, it still is that way.
  
  Just some P platers think that rule doesn't apply to them so they drink and drive...
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  Paul says,
  2 years ago

  There is so much more to reducing the road toll then just slapping on more and more and more restrictions.
  
  The legal drinking age has been set at 18 for a very long time, however its only been recently (past 5 years perhaps?) that young drivers being in accidents is increasing.
  
  Perhaps there is something else going on?
  
  Why not look at the quality of our roads? Why not look at the saftey of our roads?
  
  Im sure those 5 teenages in that horrific accident a month ago would not have died when their XR6 hit a tree, if only the goverment had put saftey barriers in place on the side of the road!!! so the car would not have gone anywhere near the tree in the 1st place.
  
  also
  
  Why the hell can P platers be allowed to drive rubbish 2nd/3rd/4th/5th hand Commodores and Falcons, which have WAY WAY too much power and horrible saftey standards to boot.
  However laws are in place that stop P platers driving much more modern, safer cars, simply because they have a tiny turbo attached to them?
  
  The people that make these road rules keep on proving over and over and over agian that they know absolutely nothing about cars. The second they hear the words "Turbo, Super Charged, Sports etc" they all think right away that the car should not be allowed by P platers.
  
  If the government really actually gave a damn about young drivers. They would fire all the old farts incharge of making rules and laws in regards to what young drivers should and should not be doing, because it is being proven their rules are not working.
  
  and get some more modern and up-to-date people in charge. and while they are at it. PROVIDE PROPER ADVANCED DRIVER TRAINING!!!
  
  Practice does NOT make Perfect.
  Perfect Practice makes Perfect.
  
  Young drivers being taught by their parents and out of touch driving instructors is not good practice behind what can potentially be a deadly weapon.
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  Bavarian Missile says,
  2 years ago

  Not here in WA Adrian ,only recently did that come into effect not sure about the other States........
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  Bavarian Missile says,
  2 years ago

  Hey Adrian...............seems there are other states that still allow 0.02 for P platers based on what I just googled.......
  
  quote "In Australia, it is against the law to drink and drive with a BAC over 0.05%. Some drivers are subject to 0.02% BAC; including:
  
  Learner drivers (L Plates)
  Probationary drivers (P Plates)
  Anyone who has been convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) (for three years after the offence)
  Anyone who has been convicted of failing to comply with a request for breath, blood or urine (for three years after the offence)"
  
  Sorry but I think thats just plain crazy.............especially L platers..
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  Wheelnut says,
  2 years ago

  We should think about raising the IQ needed to be a politician particularly our PM - if he thinks that by increasing the legal age from 18 to 21 it will somehow miraculously stop young drivers killing themselves on our roads..
  
  Because even though alcohol can inhibit a persons ability to control a vehicle.. some [young] people lack the ability to do so even without alcohol; with the same result - a fatal accident
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  Ajax the Great says,
  2 years ago

  As someone who was born and raised in the USA, I have to say that the 21 drinking age does not work. It didn't stop me or anyone I knew from drinking. Hell, I went to my first kegger at 14. Go to any college town in America and you will see what a failure it is. By emulating us, you will only see an increase of clandestine drinking and alcohol poisoning, and then when the first affected cohort becomes 21, watch out. Trust me, you do not want that! As for drunk driving, it is funny that since the early 1980s, Australia (and the UK and Canada) has made more progress against it than we have over here despite our raising the drinking age to 21.
  
  Mr. Rudd, here's a few suggestions: 1) Really put the hammer down on reckless driving, drunk driving, and drunk violence, 2) Raise taxes on all alcohol, not just alcopops (lol), 3) Restrict alcohol advertising, 4) Increase alcohol education, and 5) Actually enforce the current drinking age of 18. If you can't do #5, how do you expect to enforce a 21 drinking age?
  
  21 drinking age = EPIC FAIL
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  Pitty says,
  2 years ago

  In WA its a flat 0.00 for either P-plates stage one or 2 or learners and then a 0.05 limit for full license holders.
  
  I think it would be a waste of time raising the drinking age. It could be tried, but as has been said before, the culture will not change as quickly as the law will.
  
  I do agree with higher penalties, such as vehicle confiscations for repeat drunk driving however, because someone who gets behind the wheel continuously drunk will not care about a suspended license.
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  Jacob Aflak says,
  2 years ago

  why should the majority of 18 19 and 20 year olds miss out because of a handful of drink drivers. Australias laws and rules already make it boring enough
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  MrQuick says,
  2 years ago

  Ajax is spot on
  
  Raising the legal drinking age won't do anything, it just will mean a greater number of people will become underaged drinkers.
  
  The best way to tackle this is to target underaged drinking, like stopping 16year olds going to the park and getting completly maggot. If you don't stop it, it just becomes habit, you drive to a party, feel like getting drunk, and then decide to go home by driving yourself because you think it'll be fine.
  
  I'd bet anything that most drink drivers began drinking before legal age.
  
  Once again, a small number of people who do this kill it for everyone.
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  Pat says,
  2 years ago

  We should be really tough on offenders who drink/drive, especially p platers who haven't the road experience to handle a car in this condition! It is amazing how much more sense my kids, who are now in 30-40yr age group, have gained in 10 years. None of them would drive if they have been drinking, so one is chosen to be IT and stay sober to drive the others home. There should be strict control on the number of people in a car with a p plater they are often "talked" into overcrowding!!!
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  Trump says,
  2 years ago

  Did anyone every think that little John's mother telling him he was the best and could achieve everything didn't build up a sense of invincibility. Blame squarely on Gen Y mother's.
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  AJ says,
  2 years ago

  Many of the points raised here for and against are right, but so is Kevin Rudd....maybe the argument just needed elaboration over and above road death links? Alcohol is a drug. The costs to every single one of us in Australian society thanks to the sanctioning of alcohol as an 'acceptable drug' continue to rise annually and at the moment, the links of alcohol, young people and vehicle abuse/accidents is strong so this is an obvious target.
  
  Why do people drink alcohol? Some will say it's 'sociable', 'enjoyable', 'relaxing' etc but the number one reason is the mind altering properties. We must accept that alcohol is a drug and as such, it is better handled by young adults that have had a few more years to mature and experience life than 18 year old children.
  
  At 21, most young adults will be working or in their final years of study. The tendency to behave recklessly as an adjunct to an essentially responsibility-free lifestyle will be lessened and the existing dangerous link between the legal age of drinking and the legal age of driving (in some states) will be broken.
  
  Yes, previous posts about police needing to better enforce the law, change the rules on what P-platers can and can't drive and the fact that people will still drink covertly etc are all correct - we live in a democracy, these things won't change. For for the rest of society however, raising the legal drinking age to 21 is a long overdue important recognition of the fact that alcohol is a dangerous, addictive drug that is abused daily in this country, destroys lives and costs every taxpayer millions and yet is widely sanctioned and disrespected, to all of our peril.
  
  And before you ask, yes, I do drink, I am in my late 20s and have seen too many of my friends ruin their lives thanks solely to alcohol combined with immaturity and stupidity. Raise the age Kevin. If combined with other measures, it can only be a positive change!
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  Kieran says,
  2 years ago

  I know I usually write pretty long-winded comments, but i'll get straight to the point here:
  
  1) P-Platers are required to be 0% BAC at ALL times. So regardless of whether they've been clubbing or to a backyard party, they shouldn't have any alcohol in their blood at all anyway.
  2) part of the "motivation" for teens to drink underage is the thrill/indifference of breaking the law. It's going to continue no matter what the age limit is!!
  
  I agree with increasing the penalty, though. Slap on the wrist (i.e. few hundred dollars fine) isn't enough incentive NOT to attempt getting away with it.
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  Morris says,
  2 years ago

  Last time I checked it was already illegal for p platers to drink and drive. Why does he believe changing the legal drinking age will change things? Kids drink now at 16 anyway so changing it to 21 will only cause pubs to lose money (which means less tax for the government). It would take a expensive study though to show that to the government...
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  Martin says,
  2 years ago

  This is retarded, if I'm honest. What will lower P-Plater accidents is compulsory and more thorough driver education; like in Europe. But, being the government, they just try to patch problems instead of actually dealing with them properly, which takes effort.
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  Liv says,
  2 years ago

  Rudd, aren't you just admitting that all the new P-Plate laws (I know every state has different ones, but something is still new in most of them) actually aren't working? Hmmm...
  This is absolutely ridiculous - it will never work! People are just going to drink anyway.
  I agree, binge drinking is bad for you, but there are some people who are always going to be idiots and not care that they are harming their bodies.
  Once I'm an adult I should be able to order a drink and enjoy it, and that is only what most people want - most of us are not actually idiots, Rudd!
  Besides why on earth would we want to follow the example of the US?! They have huge drinking issues in colleges, even though 3/4 of the student population isn't legal.
  Why are we even considering following the example of a country that allows their people to walk around with GUNS just because they think they have a right to? Clearly they are clueless!!
  Europe's laws are much better - parents generally teach their children to drink responsibly, and it works.
  Surely it is better to start kids drinking small amounts a little younger (not 12, 16 or 17 is appropriate) and have them drink responsibly their whole lives is better than banning it until 'their brains are developed' only to have them binge drink to the point where they become really ill when they're older, because they didn't know when to stop?
  If alcohol fuelled violence is a problem, then punish people for behaving badly, then maybe they will learn.
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  Anthony says,
  2 years ago

  This will not stop p-platers from having accidents due to drink-driving. They will drink anyway.
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  Race Ace says,
  2 years ago

  Keep the drinking age at 18, but change the behavior... To seriously address the problem parents and governments need to work as one with the objective of saving lives (not winning votes or raising more revenue through fines)
  
  Step 1. Legislate that all 'P' platers can only drive a car fitted with a BAC Ignition Immobilizer set at 0.00% BAC. Caught driving a car without one, 5yrs license suspension.
  Step 2. Legislate 3 demerit points for 'P' platers. Exceed 3 points - lose of license for 3 yrs... No questions.
  
  Having a license is a privilege, not a right... If these rules are tough, bad luck! I don't want my kids being killed on the roads before they have the experience to deal with whats happening around them.
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  Denis says,
  2 years ago

  Please spell licence with a c not an s
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  The_Truth says,
  2 years ago

  Hey race ace how old are you and what the hell are you thinking you numpty obviously no one would leave decisions of this caliber to a relic like you. Also your perfect world would not work you think that people don't need licences? Get real and try keeping in touch with the times.
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  says,
  2 years ago

  making the drinking age to be 21 wont mean crap it wont work. if this is done there will be and im sure of it a lot of young people roaming the streets drinking destroying stuff causing public habbic. increasing the cost of a drink wont do anything and i believe is wrong because we have chosen to drink its our decision so be it why should we have to pay a tax on something we enjoy .what will work is if there is harsher penailties for every licenced driver if they are caught drink driving. like loosing your licence for good and never being able to obtain one ever again, having your car impounded for good. a young driver should not be allowed hotted up cars on their p plates that only encourages them to speed and drag racing. what i believe in is the legal bac limit should lowed for all licenced drivers to 0.00 BAC there should be more incouragement for younger drivers to leave their car at home if they are going out to drink. youger drivers should be encouraged more to be a designated driver more warnings should be put out on televison what drink driving will do to you. A passanger of any driver that is of legal age should also be responsible for a driver if they are caught drink driving because they should of been the one telling them not to drive. Ignition breathalyzer interlocks should be fixed to each and every car and should be calabrated only to the car owner so nobody else can start the car while the driver is over the limit.. dont you think that some of these ideas should be employed first Mr Rudd.
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  Miss Raymond says,
  3 months ago

  in my opinion the legal age shouldn't be taken up to 21 because of the simple fact their going to drink either way. Instead of whinnying about drinking they should be looking at drugs, the drug laws in Australia are horrible. People caught with drugs get a slap on the wrist, where as that will teach them nothing, yeah a couple hundred dollars, that's nothing to them when their buying and/or selling. The government should be looking towards making higher consequences for being under the influence of drugs and or having them on their person.