Despite calls to raise the legal drinking age to 19 to reduce binge drinking during school celebrations, the federal government has ruled out the possibility.

Ian Hickie, health advocate from Sydney University’s Brain and Mind Research Institute, has requested the commonwealth to raise the legal age for drinking from 18 to 19, so as to break the link between leaving school and drinking.

The call comes as school leavers prepare for the annual binge-drinking ritual of schoolies, criticised as ‘ludicrous’ and ‘a very dangerous activity’ by Professor Hickie.  He says 18 is unacceptable as the legal drinking age, citing mounting evidence that the brains of young people are particularly susceptible to damage from alcohol abuse, even into their 20s.

Previously, Jon Currie, the Chairman of a national expert panel on alcohol guidelines, had said given the impact of alcohol on brain development, the community would have to consider raising the drinking age to 21.

Rejecting claims that raising the drinking age would only serve to encourage more under-age drinking, Professor Hickie said countries like the US, where the drinking age in many states was 21, experienced lower rates of accidents and violence involving young people.

However, Nicola Roxon, Health Minister ruled out every possibility of taking such drastic action, Thursday, telling reporters that raising the drinking age was not on the agenda, as the government did not plan on doing so.

Earlier this year, the National Preventative Health Taskforce recommended a tightening of liquor control laws nationwide, including restricting the number of alcohol outlets and opening hours.

As well, it has also asked for alcohol packaging to carry health warning labels, including sporting codes for cracking down on players’ alcohol-related antics.

While, acknowledging drink binging to be an issue during schoolies week, Roxon suggested parents should talk to their children and better educate them.