Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is a disgrace of a human being. For a man who boasts a higher than average I.Q., he rarely seems to be displaying it.

Obviously testing the apathy of Australians. Enforcing more nanny state policies and further limiting their human rights.

Beer-5909876

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2010/s2813946.htm

SHANE MCLEOD: The Prime Minister has weighed in on the question of whether the drinking age for alcohol should be raised to 21.

Kevin Rudd was asked about it in front of an audience of 200 high school students on the ABC’s Q and A program last night.

Mr Rudd says he personally thinks it’s a good idea but he’d need proof it would lead to a drop in binge drinking and alcohol-related accidents.

Jennifer Macey reports.

JENNIFER MACEY: Some medical experts believe raising the drinking age could save the lives of 100 young people every year.

Last night, at a special Q and A forum at Old Parliament House with 200 school students, the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was asked whether he thought it was a good idea.

QUESTIONER: Mr Rudd, have you ever considered lifting the minimum legal drinking age in Australia?

KEVIN RUDD: We’ve had a few discussions about that. We took a pretty controversial decision which is to increase the price of alcopops.

TONY JONES: Would you consider it?

KEVIN RUDD: I don’t have the evidence in front of me to say whether we can or whether we can’t.
I would just rather be straight up with you and say …

TONY JONES: Would you like to?

KEVIN RUDD: Of course. I mean, would I like to?

TONY JONES: Would you like to raise the drinking age to 21?

KEVIN RUDD: Of course. The, ah, I believe in something called evidence based policy which is if the evidence is there and it is capable of being proven that it works, then we look at these things and make a decision.

JENNIFER MACEY: The Federal Government has already discussed lifting the drinking age to 21 as have many states around Australia.

Professor Ian Webster is currently examining the issue for the New South Wales Government. He’s also the director of the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation.

IAN WEBSTER: There is some evidence from some states in the United States that a higher drinking age leads to less injury, assaults and road traffic accidents but we would really need to know whether introducing it in a wider number of states or places would have that effect.

JENNIFER MACEY: What about the argument though that raising the drinking age simply leads to more underground binge drinking?

IAN WEBSTER: Well, I think that is right. That is the dilemma in our society. I think there are moral ethical arguments as to whether you should increase the drinking age. We expect young people to go to war and fight for us at the age of 18. We expect them to vote for us at the age of 18.

So I think it is a very contested ethical, moral judgement which society would have to make despite the evidence one way or another and I personally think the evidence has yet to be sorted out.

JENNIFER MACEY: At one of Sydney’s most popular late night drinking spots reactions were mixed.

VOX POP: Oh, I just think it is a joke. Like when I was 21 I was more mature, as mature at least as I am now.

VOX POP 2: The young kids are going to get alcohol no matter what so if you raise it to 21 they are still going to drink.

VOX POP 3: What I find it totally right because sitting here is how much violence and how much bad stuff happens when they get drunk and they are less than 18.

JENNIFER MACEY: Professor Ian Webster says it’s unlikely governments will introduce such a bill.

He says a more effective policy to cut binge drinking rates is to make alcohol more expensive and to put tighter restrictions on alcohol advertising and sports sponsorship.

SHANE MCLEOD: Jennifer Macey.