Have a say on alcohol rules

Time, please: Whanganui council's move to tighten up alcohol rules, as reported in the Chronicle in March.

By Dr Nicki Jackson

THE time has come for Whanganui district residents to have their say on the availability of alcohol in their communities.

As a resident, you can be part of a solution that reduces alcohol harm, and the social and financial costs of alcohol use in Whanganui are significant.

The most recent data shows residents in the Whanganui District Health Board area have higher rates of hazardous drinking compared to the national average.

The picture is most striking for young males aged 15 to 24 years, with 47 per cent classified as hazardous drinkers compared to the national average of 31 per cent.

In fact, all age groups from 15-65 years in the Whanganui region have higher rates of hazardous drinking than the national average.

Everyone pays the price, indirectly or directly, from these high levels of drinking.

Harm takes form in increased hospital admissions, crime and violence, child maltreatment, drink driving, public disorder and loss of community amenity.

From 2010 to 2014, there were 111 alcohol-related crashes resulting in injury or death in the Whanganui region, and in a similar period there were 1141 drink driving convictions.

It was estimated the cost from alcohol-related harm in the district in 2005 was $51.8 million.

For a region that has economic performance as a key priority, harmful alcohol use should be seen as a major obstacle.

By reducing the burden of alcohol harm, Whanganui can be more prosperous, thriving socially and economically.

Whanganui District Council has developed a draft alcohol policy which determines when and where alcohol outlets can open for business.

The key components of the draft policy permit the following:

�Off-licence hours (bottle store, supermarket, and grocery store alcohol sales): 7am to 9pm;

�On-licence (ie, pub, bar, nightclub) hours: 8am to 2am, with a one-way door policy in the last hour of operation;

�Club (eg, sports, RSAs) hours: 8am to 12am;

�No new bottle stores from the time the policy is adopted. No such limits apply to supermarkets and grocery stores; and

�Location of new bottle stores: Not permitted in close proximity to early childhood centres, primary and secondary schools, marae, and places of worship.

We, at Alcohol Healthwatch, support the council.

Our role is to promote effective and evidence-based policies which reduce alcohol harm, including policies aimed at restricting the number of licensed premises and the hours in which they operate.

We would, however, prefer that supermarkets and grocery stores are not exempt from restrictions in the draft policy, given strong research which shows they are associated with violence in the wider Whanganui region.

We also recommend that off-licences are not permitted to open before 10am, so children can get to school without being exposed to alcohol marketing and advertising.

On-licence hours could also be reduced, given that alcohol-related harm increases exponentially after midnight.

It is heart-warming to see that Whanganui residents have shown strong support for restrictions around alcohol availability.

Surveys show many want fewer outlets, reduced opening hours, and restrictions on where alcohol outlets can be located.

It is time now to put those views into action and take back control of the availability of alcohol in the district.

Don't wait another six years until the policy is reviewed to have your say. Submissions on the alcohol policy close on Monday, May 15, at 4pm. The details of the policy can be found on the council website.

You can submit your thoughts online or via email to policysubmissions@whanganui. govt.nz. At Alcohol Healthwatch, we can also support you to have your say -- contact ahw@ahw.org.nz for more information.

From a former Whanganui resident in my childhood, I truly hope that you do take part in this process and exercise your democratic right.

Dr Nicki Jackson is executive director of Alcohol Healthwatch