Police urge alcohol restraint as Christmas approaches

Police are urging Northlanders to show restraint after a number of alcohol-related incidents in the lead-up to the festive season. Photo / File

Police are appealing to Northlanders to take it easy on the booze after a number of alcohol-related incidents in the lead-up to the festive season.

They include a crash about 2am on Saturday when a car failed to take the Puketona Rd-Haruru Falls Rd corner, near Paihia, instead crashing through a security fence at Bay of Islands ITM, a building supplies store.

The car just missed a fishing launch parked on the property, leaving it covered in debris, and came to rest down a bank in a car park.

Sergeant Ross Laurie, of Mid North police, said the driver had left the scene when officers arrived.

However, the vehicle's owner was found at her home nearby and subjected to a breath test. The 42-year-old allegedly had a reading of 774 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, more than three times the legal limit of 250mcg.

She had been summonsed to Kaikohe District Court on charges of drink-driving and careless driving, and her licence was suspended for 28 days.

Later, about 5.45pm on Sunday, a Moerewa woman became seriously unwell with an extreme heart rate after what police described as a ''three-day bender''.

Police and St John Ambulance attended. As well as drinking for three days she had taken other, as yet unidentified substances which may have caused a severe reaction. She was taken to Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa.

Mr Laurie urged people to show some restraint when consuming alcohol.

Incidents like Sunday's added to the pressure emergency services were already under and could take them away from other, more urgent matters — not to mention the stress and strain they placed on family members and the financial problems they could cause.

''We don't mind you having a good time, but how much alcohol do you really need to drink?''

Last week the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority heard a three-day appeal in Kerikeri sparked by Kaikohe pensioner Shaun Reilly's attempt to limit the hours in which alcohol can be sold in the Far North.