The state government's radical alcohol reforms will be undermined unless the legal drinking age is raised to 20 and alcohol advertising is reined in, the incoming chief of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians says.
The comments add weight to calls by former Australian of the Year Ita Buttrose for a trial increase of the drinking age to 21 and from the Australian Medical Association for a national debate on the issue.
"My personal view is that raising the drinking age would likely have health benefits for the community": Nicholas Talley.
The president-elect of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Nicholas Talley, said measures announced by Premier Barry O'Farrell last week, including lockouts, ''last drinks'' rules and minimum mandatory sentences for alcohol-related crimes, were an ''important step''.
But Professor Talley said that more was required to change the nation's booze-soaked culture, including raising the drinking age to 20.
''I applaud the state government but I do not think [the reforms] will be sufficient to deal with this complex issue,'' he said. ''We need a suite of steps to change the culture.
''My personal view is that raising the drinking age would likely have health benefits for the community.''
Such a change would mean ''you wouldn't be able to go into clubs at 18 and drink until you are blind drunk'', he said.
Professor Talley, who assumes the presidency in May, conceded such a move would not be ''politically palatable'' and was unlikely to win community support. He said the college believed governments should also consider increasing alcohol taxes and tighter regulations for alcohol advertising.
Mr O'Farrell has proposed a multimillion-dollar social media and advertising campaign, partly funded by the alcohol industry, to address binge drinking.
However, Professor Talley said evidence showed alcohol advertising encourages people to drink and ''the college is concerned that will undermine other campaigns''.
A NSW parliamentary report into youth alcohol abuse last month cited concern by St Vincent's Hospital drug and alcohol experts that large-scale education campaigns were ''dwarfed by the resources, reach and impact of alcohol industry advertising''.
The federal government has been criticised for failing to limit alcohol advertising and the Greens have called for a Senate inquiry into alcohol promotion to children.
The alcohol industry says advertising is designed to encourage people to switch brands, not increase consumption.
A spokeswoman for Mr O'Farrell declined to comment. He has previously ruled out any increase to the drinking age.