Booze sachets not 'to help kids get wasted'

Alcohol sachets, which can be bought for just $1.50 each, have been found scattered around Eden Park after big games. Photo / Supplied

Worries around palm-sized alcohol sachets have been put to Government cabinet ministers today, as one of the entrepreneurs behind the products hits back at fresh calls to ban them.

Auckland councillor Dr Cathy Casey has written to Justice Minister Amy Adams on behalf of the Eden Park Community Liaison Group asking the Government to outlaw importation of the 25ml sachets, which have been found scattered around the stadium after big games.

Dr Casey was concerned the sachets, which can be easily concealed and are about the size of a condom wrapper, could be too easily smuggled into events with alcohol restrictions.

Auckland City Police were also continuing to find the sachets at events and venues around the city, and has raised the issue at a national level.

Dr Casey recently bought three of the sachets produced by Cheeky and was alarmed to pay just $1.50 each for sachets that carried a relatively high alcohol concentration of 20 per cent.

But today, a part owner of Cheeky Limited said the company was being closed down and was de-registered in March.

Aidan Creamer said his company sold about 20,000 of the sachets since opening in 2013, and expected they were still being sold in some bottle stores due to distributors having bought bulk amounts of them.

Mr Creamer said the products had never been designed to help people smuggle booze into places - he added this had been happening for years through ways such as alcohol-injected fruit and hip flasks - but for practical uses like serving on airplanes.

"There was a lot of potential with the product, rather than people just thinking it was to smuggle alcohol or help kids get wasted."

While the closing of the company meant he would no longer be affected by a ban, he did not support the measure.

"And I think there's a bit more an issue in New Zealand than cheeky sachets," he said, adding that a ban would also have to apply to miniature spirit bottles and miniature alcohol shots.

"If they are going to ban it, then they're going to have to ban so many things that are similar to it."

At a meeting at Auckland Council this morning, Dr Casey showed the packets to visiting senior ministers including Steven Joyce, Nick Smith, Paula Bennett and Anne Tolley.

Ms Adams yesterday said she would consider the matter, which had not yet been raised with the Government.