City's youth NZ's heaviest drinkers

Auckland youngsters top national drinking statistics. Photo / Bradley Ambrose

Researcher says liquor store hours may be the reason Auckland fares so badly in alcohol harm statistics

Auckland's later liquor trading hours may be why its young people are New Zealand's heaviest drinkers, says a group that wants tighter controls on alcohol.

Massey University researcher Dr Taisia Huckle has assembled a statistical snapshot showing that, last year, Aucklanders fared worse than the country overall on the rate of alcohol-related crashes causing injury or death; the proportion of adult drinkers consuming eight or more drinks in a typical session; and rates of hospital admissions attributable to alcohol.

Among drinkers aged 20 to 24 in Auckland, 22 per cent consumed eight or more drinks on a typical drinking occasion, compared with 17 per cent for the whole country. Among those aged 18 or 19, the approximate rates were Auckland 25 per cent, New Zealand 20 per cent.

Alcohol Healthwatch director Rebecca Williams said the reasons why young Aucklanders were New Zealand's heaviest drinkers were not clear, but it might relate partly to trading hours.

"We have larger numbers of late-trading liquor outlets - per 100,000 population 15 years-plus - than there are nationally, and until the end of last year these were allowed to operate 24/7.

"Liquor outlets have also been allowed to concentrate in parts of the city and this influences things like opening hours, exposure to alcohol advertising and pricing - all linked to harm outcomes and increased vulnerability of some population groups."

Community groups said the findings of the snapshot were no surprise.

"We have got far too many liquor outlets that are open for too many hours and who are promoting alcohol to our community 24/7. The harm follows," said Yvonne Matson, of the Otara Gambling and Alcohol Action Group.

Takapuna Central Residents Group spokesman Steve Schroder agreed. His group has called for tighter controls on liquor outlets in the Auckland Council's local alcohol policy, which is being developed and is expected to be implemented next year.

The draft policy would ban new bottle stores for at least two years in the central city, the Ponsonby and Newton entertainment strips and 20 suburban areas.

The Otara groups wants this sinking lid extended to bars and other on-licences in the designated priority areas.

But a liquor industry analyst has disputed the Massey University snapshot.

Fraser Colegrave, an economic analyst for Hospitality New Zealand, said, " ... there is also a strong body of evidence showing that alcohol-related harm in Auckland is in rapid decline, and that Auckland's rates of alcohol-related harm are actually quite low across several measures."

Data in a report he co-wrote for the hospitality industry association put the Auckland region lowest among territorial local authorities in 2010/11 for the rate of alcohol-related injury hospital discharges. Quoting police statistics, the report said serious assaults causing injury, disorderly conduct offences and public place assaults fell by 43, 34 and 28 per cent respectively in the Auckland region between 2008 and 2013.

Dr Huckle said the hospital data she used included only cases where alcohol had been determined to be the main reason for admission. She added that her statistics for Auckland and New Zealand were for one period, 2013, and did not look at trends over time.

Auckland drinking problem

Auckland compared with New Zealand overall in 2013:
• 28% higher - rate of alcohol-related crashes.
• 11% higher - rate of hospital admissions attributable to alcohol.
• 8% versus 6.5% - proportion of adult drinkers who consume eight or more drinks in a typical session.