Law change targets drinking culture (+ video)

Law reforms introduced by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 aim to improve New Zealand's drinking culture and reduce harm caused by excessive drinking.

Police are preparing to enforce new laws that change the way alcohol is sold, supplied and consumed in the run-up to Christmas.

The reforms, introduced by the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, aim to improve New Zealand's drinking culture and reduce the harm caused by excessive drinking.

The new legislation came into effect overnight.

The most visible changes include:

New maximum trading hours apply to businesses that sell alcohol:

7am to 11pm for off-licences, such as bottle stores, supermarkets and grocery stores

8am to 4am for on-licences, such as bars, pubs and nightclubs

New on-the-spot fines. Police will be able to issue an alcohol infringement notice of $250 if you:

Drink or have an open container of alcohol anywhere in a public place in a liquor ban area. This now includes locations such as car parks and school grounds, not just streets and parks

Present a fake ID

Use someone else's ID to buy alcohol

Give or lend an ID to an underage person if you know they intend to use it to buy alcohol

You can only supply alcohol to a person under 18 if:

You are their parent or legal guardian; or you have consent from their parent or legal guardian; or the young person is married, in a civil union or living with a de facto partner

The penalty for breaching the law is a fine of up to $2000. For a full list of the changes, visit justice.govt.nz and search alcohol law changes or view the video below.