Alcohol consumption by young people is on the decline, says Victoria University student union president Rick Zwaan.

OPINION: I don't think many Wellingtonians would be surprised to hear that New Zealand has a drinking problem. We've been plagued with an unhealthy attitude towards drinking for decades - this isn't a new problem.

Social situations too frequently orientate around alcohol, and there are always a few who take it too far. This drinking culture is pervasive, whether it's on Queens Wharf at 6pm on a Friday, at the local pub in Featherston, or in a student hostel on a Saturday after term finishes.

And yet, the consequences of excessive availability and consumption only make headlines when young people are involved.

It is a facile approach to a societal problem, and continues to let decision-makers escape responsibility for a cultural norm that is instilled in our children from an early age.

Like most students, I was appalled and embarrassed by the destructive behaviour a few students demonstrated in Katharine Jermyn Hall.

It's remarkable that in one night, a few students managed to not only disrespect their home, and their neighbours, but to damage the reputation of the 20,000 students at Victoria who are here to get an education and contribute to their community.

Incidents like this, and the unofficial Wellington College Ball, exemplify the fact that there are always going to be a few who ruin the fun.

But, as a city we should be responding to these isolated incidents for what they are - anomalies within a decreasing trend.

We know from the Ministry of Health that there is a generational shift starting to occur with younger people drinking far less today than ever before.

There was a 13 per cent decline in the number of hazardous drinkers aged 18-24 between 2006 and 2011 alone. The number of teenagers consuming alcohol over the same period also dropped by 16 per cent.

The number of our students ending up in Wellington's ED is declining year on year, with 33 this year proving an 80 per cent reduction from previous years.

And every student that was admitted was referred to the university's health and counselling team who help them to build a healthier attitude towards alcohol.

We're beginning to see genuine changes in the trends of young people drinking, and we should be celebrating that.

First-year students are now coming to Victoria better equipped with practical information on healthy drinking practices than ever before, thanks to growth in effective high school health programmes.

If we want to reduce the widespread harms of alcohol, we need a national conversation that isn't limited to condemning young people for making the mistakes that every other generation has made while growing up.

What happened at Katharine Jermyn Hall and at Kelburn Park were isolated incidents and need to be treated as such.

They are anomalies that are largely condemned by the wider student body.

It's not good enough to let them get in the way of a supportive and cohesive Wellington community that is founded on mutual respect.

Students and young people are full members of the Wellington community and deserve to be treated as such.

Collectively, with the university we contribute over $1 billion to the regional economy annually.

We bring with us a diverse range of talents and skills that we tirelessly funnel into making Wellington a better place through part-time jobs, volunteering, the creative industries, and a whole host of other areas.

We should stop playing a blame game, and come together as Wellingtonians and address the root causes of this issue together.

We're going to see the greatest results when young people are valued and embraced as full members of the Wellington community.

Rick Zwaan is president of the Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (and a resident of Kelburn).