Drunk people - some as young as 13 - are turning up to Rotorua Hospital's emergency department and being disruptive as they seek medical care.
Staff at Rotorua's emergency department have to deal with drunk and disruptive patients spending more than three hours there at a time.
According to figures released to The Daily Post under the Official Information Act, 114 people received medical treatment for intoxication last year. In the first six months of this year, a total of 34 people had turned up to Rotorua Hospital's emergency department drunk.
However, the number of drunks being seen at the hospital is likely to be under-represented.
While the figures represent those who needed medical help for intoxication, it didn't include those who needed treatment for an injury where alcohol was a contributing factor.