MELBOURNE&mdash:The legal drinking age could be lifted to 21 if attempts fail to curb binge drinking among the young, according to the Victorian Government's top alcohol adviser.
Professor Jon Currie, chairman of the Victorian Drug and Alcohol Prevention Council, says lifting the legal drinking age would be a "last resort" but one that should be a definite option.
The Sunday Age said Professor Currie will make recommendations to the Brumby Government within the next few months on how to deal with the growing level of alcohol abuse by young people.
Prof Currie, director of addiction medicine and mental health at St Vincent's Hospital, said if social, educational and parental strategies failed to change dangerous drinking habits, "governments will inevitably look at legal ramifications or legal restrictions".
"There might be a two year discussion period that would give a very strong message to people that either we change the environment ourselves or the government will do it," Prof Currie said.
In the US and some provinces in Canada, 21 is the legal drinking age.
Deakin University professor of health psychology John Toumbouruo told the Fairfax newspaper that he was a strong supporter of lifting the legal drinking age to 21.
"In countries or states where it has been introduced there has been a 15 per cent reduction of deaths and harm related to alcohol," he said.