Is cheap alcohol promoting unhealthy drinking? A New Zealand alcohol watchdog thinks it does and is therefore urging the government to raise the price of alcohol.
New Zealanders are ranked number 4 in the world for pre-loading according to a 2014 study by the Ministry of Justice. The study into alcohol minimum pricing policies revealed that increasing the tax and establishing a minimum pricing policy could save the country hundreds of millions of dollars. It would also reduce alcohol fuelled harm, the study found.
The New Zealand government has chosen to wait another 5 years to see the full effect of changes made in the 2012 Alcohol Reform Bill.
According to research 79 per cent of people in New Zealand drink before they go out also known as pre-loading.
If people are pre-loading, it presents a challenge to us as servers of alcohol, attempting to enforce Responsible Service of Alcohol because customers are already intoxicated when they arrive at the venue.