Three children a week end up in Dunedin Hospital with alcohol poisoning, and dealing with the city's harmful alcohol use needs to start with schools, the head of police in Dunedin, Inspector Alastair Dickie, says.
The issue is just one of many which prompted Dunedin's community leaders to join forces yesterday in an attempt to reduce harm from alcohol.
Other issues highlighted during the meeting at the Skeggs Gallery were road crashes, family violence, the Undie 500, student Orientation and - in the future - events like the Rugby World Cup.
Insp Dickie believed one of the solutions to alcohol-fuelled problems in the city was to start with the young people.
"There's evidence coming through the hospital to show kids as young as 10 are getting grossly intoxicated on a weekly basis.
About three a week - males and females - end up in hospital.
"Some require intensive care."
Dunedin Hospital was unable to provide detailed information yesterday about children with alcohol poisoning.
Insp Dickie said domestic violence played a major part in youth alcohol problems.
"Kids see their parents fighting, and the trauma they are experiencing is turning them to alcohol. [Domestic violence] is one of the drivers of the problem.
"Seventy percent of crime committed in New Zealand is alcohol related.
"If you don't break the cycle in kids, it's going to be an ongoing cycle, where their kids will do the same.
"Schools are an important place to start."
Insp Dickie said another solution was to bring together all of Dunedin's excellent support networks for helping residents with alcohol abuse.
A similar initiative in Oamaru had been a great success, he said.
Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin agreed, also saying another solution to alcohol-related problems in the city may lie with making parents more accountable for their children.
"If you've got 10- to 13-year-olds running around the city drunk, who's taking care of these kids?"
Waitaki District Council community safety officer and meeting co-ordinator Alison Banks said not all of Dunedin's problems would be solved in a day, but the meeting was "a good starting point".
