In March 2025, HCA commissioned an independent poll seeking the public’s opinion on alcohol sales and marketing. This poll provides the most up to date data on current public opinion on alcohol policies of New Zealand adults.
Poll results show overwhelming support for tighter safeguards on how alcohol is sold and marketed. Clear majorities support firm limits on key problems such as the price of cheap alcohol, online deliveries, and industry involvement in policy making. 80% back a ban on alcohol ads seen by children.
The majority support making alcohol less available:
- 81% agree online alcohol deliveries should have to follow the same checks as bars and stores
- 76% agreed with neighbourhood limits on the number of places selling alcohol
- 58% support returning the alcohol purchase age to 20 years old
Majority support for removing industry from policymaking and telling the truth about alcohol harms
- 71% agree the alcohol industry should stay out of policymaking
- 66% support cancer warning labels on alcohol products
Majority support for safeguards against alcohol advertising
- 80% back a ban on alcohol ads seen by children
- 62% support a ban on all alcohol advertising and sponsorship
- 68% agree sporting organisations should be supported to move away from alcohol sponsorship
Support for making alcohol less affordable
- 58% agree cheap alcohol should not be sold below a certain price
- 47% agree the Government should increase the price of alcohol by 10% and use that money for alcohol treatment services and harm prevention. A further 11% were unsure.
Read the Public Health Communication Centre briefing here.
Read our media release here.
About the poll
Results are based upon questions asked in a Talbot Mills Research nationwide online survey of a sample of 1161 nationally representative respondents in NZ 18 years of age and over. The maximum sampling error for a sample size of 1161 at the 95% confidence level is ± 3.1%. The questions were asked in March 2025.
Participants were asked ‘To reduce the problems associated with alcohol use, how strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements (%)’ followed by a range of alcohol policy measure statements.
The last public opinion survey was the 2023 University of Otago/Cancer Society survey. Our PHCC Briefing includes 2023 results for comparison where relevant, but we caution comparing results too closely as the methodology and question and response options differed between the two surveys.
This poll was funded by Health Coalition Aotearoa and the Cancer Society of New Zealand.
