Citation

Gruenewald PJ, Treno AJ, Ponicki WR, Huckle T, Yeh LC, Casswell S. Addiction 2015; 110(11): 1757-1766.

Affiliation

SHORE and Whariki, Massey University, New Zealand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/add.13034

PMID

26119584

Abstract

AIMS: The minimum purchase age (MPA) for alcohol in New Zealand (NZ) was reduced from 20 to 18 years in 1999. We assessed the degree to which this change was associated with alterations in uses of drinking contexts, drinking, and related problems.

METHODS: NZ National Alcohol Surveys among persons 14+ years of age provided demographics, frequencies and amounts consumed in drinking places, and problem measures for 1995, 2000 and 2004. Censored regression estimates of parameters of a context-specific dose-response model identified MPA-associated changes in drinking and problems.

RESULTS: The lowered MPA was associated with more frequent drinking at pubs/nightclubs among the newly of-age 18-19 year olds (b = 15.26, p = 0.009), moderated drinking quantities at these places (b = -0.943, p = 0.034), and greater quantities consumed at home (b = 1.012, p = 0.010) and others' homes (b = 0.870; p = 0.029). Drinking frequency and quantity in the 16-17 age group increased at home (b = 22.11, p = 0.040 and b = 1.22, p = 0.002) and others' homes (b = 11.65, p = 0.002 and b = 0.915, p = 0.021). Problems associated with drinking contexts changed post-MPA (G2 ≥ 27.45, p ≤ 0.002), specifically increased association with drinking in pubs/nightclubs (b = 0.090, p < 0.001) across both age groups.

CONCLUSIONS: The 1999 change in New Zealand's minimum purchase age for alcohol from 20 years to 18 years appears to have been associated with substantive changes in uses of drinking contexts, drinking and associated drinking problems among 16-19 year olds. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Language: en