Govt, Nelson trade barbs over alcoholApr 27 2008
A war of words has erupted after federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon accused the former Howard government of fuelling teenage binge drinking.
Ms Roxon said a decision in 2000 to cut excise on pre-mixed alcoholic drinks - so-called alcopops - helped fuel the surge in excessive drinking by young people, particularly girls.
A furious Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson branded the claim an "outrageous slur".
Ms Roxon said the Rudd government's decision to lift the excise by 70 per cent would help tackle binge drinking by making the sugary, innocuous tasting drinks between 30 cents and $1.30 a bottle more expensive.
The tax increase will deliver about $2 billion a year to the government - a "big chunk" of which will go to preventative health schemes, Ms Roxon said.
She slammed the former government for cutting the excise, making pre-mixed drinks cheaper than bottled spirits.
"I think the previous government is partly responsible. I think they made a mistake. We're going to turn that around," Ms Roxon told the Nine Network.
"We can track the change in the way that young women have been drinking these products from the time that the Howard government changed the excise in 2000.
"We've seen patterns where it's gone from about 14 per cent of young girls drinking these products up to about 60 per cent.
"So, this is an explosion that we think needs to be tackled ... We have a problem that must be turned around and this is the place where we're starting."
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