Wellington, April 28 NZPA - The Salvation Army is calling on the Government to scrap a bill on alcohol, order a further review and go back to the drawing board.

The Government should abandon the Sale and Supply of Liquor and Liquor Enforcement Bill and order a "fundamental review" of alcohol regulation, social policy spokesman Campbell Roberts said.

The Law Commission review already under way into alcohol regulation was a "starting point" but there may need to be more done afterwards.

"I think there needs to be a significant look at the legislation...what we are concerned about is a piecemeal approach which this legislation is.

"It's better to have one go at this legislation and do it in a comprehensive way," Mr Roberts told NZPA.

The current bill was "merely tinkering" with alcohol-related problems which are "widespread and deeply engrained in our communities".

Mr Roberts said he supported the ability of local authorities to decide where and how many alcohol outlets operate, but was worried it would place "yet another" burden on local communities.

"It is feasible and preferable to use national regulations to achieve the bill's aims."

The bill also focused on youth drinking problems which ignored the alcohol-related problems of older people, Mr Roberts said.

The Law Commission has proposed significantly increasing the price of alcohol, raising the drinking age and radically lowering the legal breath alcohol level for drivers.

The commission is to recommend changes after considering responses to a discussion paper.

Commission president Sir Geoffrey Palmer said alcohol was no ordinary commodity. "It is a drug," he said last week.

"Alcohol would be classed as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 if it were treated on its merits, according to many experts."

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