A There is no legal minimum drinking age in New Zealand. However, HPA recommends that children and young people under-18 years don't drink alcohol. Those under 15 years of age are at the greatest harm from drinking alcohol, and not drinking in this age group is especially important.
If you are under 18 years old and with a legal parent or guardian you can: drink alcohol in a supervised area where meals are served (such as a restaurant or family lounge bar) but only if it is provided by the parent or guardian with you.
The legal age for drinking alcohol in New Zealand is 18+. It's illegal to give someone under the age of 18 alcohol unless you are their parent or guardian. You could get a $2000NZD fine if you break the rules!
Aims. The minimum purchase age (MPA) for alcohol in New Zealand (NZ) was reduced from 20 to 18 years in 1999.
Young people are at greater risk of alcohol-related harm than adults. As the brain keeps developing into the mid-twenties, drinking alcohol as a teenager can greatly increase the risk of damage to the developing brain. It can also lead to problems with alcohol later in life.
Only a parent or guardian (or a person authorised by the parent or guardian) may supply alcohol to a minor at an unlicensed premises (including a family home), however the supply must be consistent with the responsible supervision of the minor.
In fact, 64 percent of the world's nations have legal drinking ages of 18. The youngest legal drinking age in the world is 15, with both Mali and the Central African Republic allowing folks to drink at that time.
Alcohol is a part of many if not most social engagements in New Zealand. Being offered an alcoholic drink at social gatherings is considered polite.
In New Zealand, the alcohol limit for drivers aged 20 years and over is 250 micrograms (mcg) of alcohol per litre of breath and the blood alcohol limit is 50 milligrams (mg) per 100 millilitres (ml) of blood. If you are under 20, the alcohol limit for drivers is zero.
However, in a landmark alcohol reform enacted in 1999, New Zealand reduced the minimum purchasing age from 20 to 18 years old. Politicians in favour of the change argued that an 18-year-old could vote and marry and should therefore be given the chance to drink in a safe environment.
Laws that apply anywhere in Australia
Legal drinking age – you must be 18 or older to buy alcohol or to drink alcohol in a licensed venue. Selling alcohol – it's illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 18 or to someone who is already drunk.
Māori did not have alcohol before Europeans arrived; when they were introduced to it, most did not like it. It was called waipiro (stinking water), wai kaha (strong water), or, by the few who liked it, waipai (good water).
Most nightclubs and bars don't let people below a certain age (e.g. 18) in at all. Other nightclubs may allow you and your friends to go in if you're under 18, but only to dance, and won't let you drink alcohol.
There is no age at which it is illegal to drink alcohol in New Zealand.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the legal age of consent is 16 years old. The law protects young people from older people who might be trying to take advantage of them. It is not intended to punish young people who are thinking about doing sexual stuff. Everyone involved must be 16 years of age or older to consent to sex.
Health advice
Drinking alcohol can damage a child's health, even if they're 15 or older. It can affect the normal development of vital organs and functions, including the brain, liver, bones and hormones.
That means if you drive after consuming even one drink you can be charged with drink-driving. If you have an alcohol level of less than 150 micrograms per litre of breath, or less than 30 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood, you could be fined and given 50 demerit points.
Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in New Zealand, accounting for 63% of available alcohol for sale.
The standard drinks measure is a simple way for you to work out how much alcohol you are drinking. It measures the amount of pure alcohol in a drink. One standard drink equals 10 grams of pure alcohol. 330 ml can of beer @ 4% alcohol = 1 standard drink.
Alcohol is an intrinsic part of Australian culture and it plays a central role in most people's social lives. Heavy drinking is seen as acceptable in almost all social situations, from weddings to sports matches, and even at funerals or baby showers.
Alcohol use in New Zealand
Alcohol consumption is highest in men (83%), those identifying as European/Other (85%) or Māori (80%), and people living in the least deprived neighbourhoods (86%).
Belarus, a country that drinks the most liters of pure alcohol than any other country in the world, was also classified as having one the riskiest pattern of drinking.
Belgium, Denmark and Germany set 16 years as the minimum age for purchasing beverages containing less than 1.2 % of distilled alcohol and 18 years for buying spirits (more than 1.2 % of distilled alcohol).
In Japan, the legal adult age is 20. Japanese law prohibits individuals under the age of 20 to drink alcohol or smoke. Regardless of age, you must not force anyone to drink or smoke as it may cause serious health and social consequences.
16-17 years old: Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Haiti, Belgium, Grenada, Congo, etc. No minimum age: China, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Togo, Timor-Leste, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Benin, Bolivia, Burundi, Sao Tome, Principe, Laos, Kosovo, Indonesia, Mali, Rwanda, Guinea-Bissau, etc.