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Increasing the drinking age is nothing more than a nanny-state, broad-brush approach that will penalise the many for the indiscretions of the few. Alcohol is consumed in large quantities by many people, and it can cause a lot of harm.

There is no doubt that the Law Commission report on alcohol law reform has a worthy goal. But unfortunately, they want to go about it in entirely the wrong manner. 
The suggested increase in the drinking age is not the solution to our problems, and it never will be. Of course, if we increase the drinking age then there will be less alcohol-related harm, but purely because fewer people will be legally able to drink. But this is a very lazy, unjustified, and discriminatory approach. Every group in society has members who abuse alcohol, so preventing those between the ages of, say, 28 and 30, from drinking, would also reduce alcohol abuse.
Raising the drinking age will not prevent under-age drinkers, either, who are supplied largely by their parents, rather than 18-19 year olds. Drinking problems are spread right across our society; they are not solely related to youth, and so raising the age limit will do nothing to address the wider issues. It is ridiculous to claim that preventing 140 000 people from having a glass of wine at a restaurant is a proportional response to a wider social issue.
Solutions should focus on problem drinkers, not just the easy targets. Criminalising young people is nothing more than a distraction from poor enforcement of current laws. In seven years there have only been six convictions for the sale of liquor to intoxicated people on licensed premises. Yet I can guarantee that most if not all of you will know or have seen some one sold alcohol in a bar when they were far too drunk to function – in fact many of you have probably been served while in this state.
The current, measures such as supply to underage and intoxicated people, are not being enforced. These laws could target the actual problems and could be used to decrease anti-social behaviour, if they were effectively enforced. A recent study in New South Wales has shown when alcohol abuse at all ages was cracked down on, assaults after dark fell by 29 percent. This is what New Zealand could aim to do. 
I say to every MP: impose fines on intoxicated people, make people responsible for their actions, and enforce current laws, but do not raise the drinking age. It is lazy legislating, and just too easy to raise the drinking age. But all it really achieves is making young people into scapegoats while ignoring wider social issues.