“Without an increase in excise tax, a lowering of the blood alcohol level and more attention to the marketing and advertising of alcohol, the tragic reality is New Zealanders will continue to suffer and die, and the taxpayer will continue to pay the third party health, social and criminal costs for the alcohol industry,” Major Roberts said.

The Government plans to set a split alcohol purchasing age of 18 at bars or other licensed premises and 20 at off-licences such as dairies and supermarkets.

Kiwi Party leader Larry Baldock said he was angry at this “pathetic response to the horrendous damage occurring to our precious young people and those families being damaged by the deadly consequences of alcohol abuse.”

Mr Baldock accused politicians of failing to show any courage or conviction to seriously deal with the problem of the youth drinking culture.

“A split drinking age can only work if it is backed by the introduction of the vast majority of the recommendations of the Law Commission. On its own it becomes a joke in the eyes of our teenagers who will be able to circumvent its restrictions easily,” he said.

However, Major Roberts warned it was a mistake to think problem drinking was only a youth issue.

“More than 90 per cent of our problem drinkers are over the age of 20 and there is scant evidence the Government is serious about solving the problems around this older group,” he said

Among other changes, pre-mixed RTDs with more than five per cent alcohol or that contain more than 1.5 standard drinks would be banned, as would drinks aimed at minors such as milk-based alcohol drinks or alcoholic iceblocks.

Opening hours would be 7am to 11pm for off-licences and 8am to 4am for bars and clubs.

In all, the Government has adopted — partly or completely — 126 of the 152 recommendations in a Law Commission report.

Although the Salvation Army supports moves to provide greater powers for communities over liquor licensing, restricting off-license hours, tightening alcohol promotion of off-licenses and reducing the buying age at off-licenses, Major Roberts described the steps as “modest and half-hearted”.

“What is needed is the full package of carefully-considered measures recommended by the Law Commission if we are to make any real difference.”

The most effective policy to combat alcohol misuse, identified by the World Health Organisation, of raising the price of alcoholic drinks was the first major recommendation by the Law Commission.

“It is extremely disheartening that the Government has not had the courage to raise the price by increasing tax and make what would have been a significant attack on excessive and dangerous drinking,” said Major Roberts. “It is also disappointing that the Government has failed to wholly address the blood alcohol limit for drivers or stop supermarkets using alcohol as a loss leader or universally restrict advertising and marketing of alcohol.”

Bob McCoskrie, national director of Family First NZ, said parliament was “tinkering with an important social problem that needs a strong response”.

“When so much of our domestic violence and child abuse is driven by alcohol and the binge culture which exists in New Zealand, Family First is desperate for a response from the Government which will undo the increasing levels of harm caused by the liberalisation of the laws in 1989 and then again in 1999,” said Mr McCoskrie.

Alcohol is connected to 1000 deaths in New Zealand each year.

Major Roberts added that a chance to further amend the Bill would occur during the select committee process, but if this did not happen alcohol law reform would likely become a significant election issue.

The bill will be introduced in October and go to a select committee for public submissions. It will not come into force before the 2011 Rugby World Cup.