Studies have also found correlations between a lower drinking age and the risk of excessive alcohol consumption. Research conducted at the University of Washington School of Medicine in the United States found that people who grew up in places with lower drinking ages were more likely to become heavy drinkers later in life. The legal drinking age in New South Wales is 18. There are a number of offences relating to the provision of alcohol to a person under the legal drinking age in New South Wales, which can result in significant fines for both the person providing the alcohol and the young person concerned. The laws governing alcohol in New South Wales are included in the Liquor Act 2007. In New South Wales, alcohol cannot be sold to a person under the age of 18 unless accompanied by a guardian (or spouse) and consumed during a meal, and minors cannot be on authorised premises (for example, premises where alcohol may be sold or consumed) unless accompanied by an adult or in other limited circumstances. [5] The designation of the restricted area (18+ only) and the supervised area (minors must be accompanied by adults) must be affixed to the door or window to the outside. Prior to 1905, the drinking age was 16. It is a criminal offence to allow a person under the legal drinking age in New South Wales to sell, provide or serve alcohol in licensed establishments. This can result in a fine of up to 50 penalty units.

Before you make the decision to let your child drink alcohol before the legal age, it is important to have the facts. There are also public places where alcohol consumption is always illegal, whether you are under or over 18, or with an adult. These are called alcohol-free zones or alcohol-free zones. In Canberra`s early years, alcohol was banned in the Australian Capital Territory, with King O`Malley being a sponsor of the unpopular alcohol prohibition in 1911. Prohibition occurred in part because possession of alcohol purchased outside the territory remained legal and the few pubs that had existing licenses could continue to operate. The federal legislature repealed the laws after residents of the federal Capital Territory voted to end them in a popular vote in 1928. [3] In all states and territories, it is illegal to provide alcohol to persons under the age of 18 unless responsible supervision is provided. We have written before about the culture of alcoholism in Australia and the pressure it puts on young people. Regardless of where the country decides to set the legal drinking age, it is important that it also takes steps to provide support and rehabilitation programs to those trying to distance themselves from alcohol dependence. Alcohol laws for minors on licensed and unlicensed premises Will raising the legal drinking age in Australia help reduce excessive alcohol consumption, developmental problems and alcohol-related violence? A group of doctors at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians believe so.

Employees of licensed establishments may request identification to prove that a person is over the legal drinking age in New South Wales. Under section 118 of the Liquor Act, it is an offence for a person under the legal drinking age to obtain, consume or take alcohol into a licensed establishment, unless the person consumes the alcohol in the presence and with the permission of his or her parents or guardians. This is punishable by a fine of up to 20 penalty units (currently 2200 US dollars). “Secondary care” is a legal term used to describe an adult who provides alcohol to a person under the age of 18. Indeed, alcohol consumption can affect brain development in young people up to the age of 25. So, would raising the legal drinking age help reduce alcohol-related harm in Australia? Let us take a closer look at the circumstances of this debate. This is not the first time that calls for an increase in the drinking age have been made. In 2008, there was a high-profile call to raise Australia`s drinking age to 21, followed by another in 2014.

In most cases, the call for an increase in age was made on the basis of reducing alcohol-related harm.