The Bulletin
Men's Weekly


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Has lowering the drinking age caused more crime? Despite ongoing concern, the evidence isn’t clear cut

  • Written by Alexander Plum, Senior Research Fellow in Applied Labour Economics, Auckland University of Technology
Has lowering the drinking age caused more crime? Despite ongoing concern, the evidence isn’t clear cutGetty Images

It’s fair to say that drinking alcohol is popular among Kiwis, to the point of potential harm.

According to the latest New Zealand Health Survey, one in five adults – or 824,000 people – have an established drinking pattern that “carries a high risk of future damage to physical or mental health”.

In 2016,...

Read more: Has lowering the drinking age caused more crime? Despite ongoing concern, the evidence isn’t clear...