Police say the annual ''Crate Day'' is to blame for several alcohol-related disturbances in the Clutha district on Saturday.
Senior Constable Tanya Grant, of Balclutha, said local police attended 10 incidents in a 16-hour period from 3.30pm on Saturday.
''The majority of which could be attributed in some way to the excessive consumption of alcohol,'' she said.
Saturday was the annual ''Crate Day'' event in which participants are encouraged to share or drink a crate of beer to celebrate the first weekend of summer.
Some of the incidents attended by police included noisy parties, disorderly behaviour in Balclutha and Kaitangata, as well as several car incidents.
In Kaitangata, a woman's licence was removed because she had accumulated excess demerit points.
One driver refused to stop and ran from police but was caught and his vehicle impounded.
Another Kaitangata male was seen driving a vehicle before he resorted to walking when he saw police.
He was previously disqualified from driving and faced charges relating to driving as well as refusing to undergo a blood test when requested.
Snr Const Grant said another incident involved an allegedly intoxicated driver who fell asleep at the wheel in Milton on Sunday morning.
The vehicle he was in hit a concrete power pole at Union St.
Clutha-Taieri district area response manager Senior Sergeant Alastair Dickie, of Mosgiel, said it appeared some of the incidents might have been the result of ''binge drinking''.
He thought South Otago was over ''that sort of nonsense''.
''I've got no time for it.''
There were still some people who wanted to test the system and police would be there to ''turn the key'' if they overstepped the mark.
There was no place for the overindulgence in alcohol and the trouble caused by it, he said.
There was a particular risk with driving where people could lose their lives.
If people engaged in risky or excessive behaviour, they should expect to be dealt to by police, Snr Sgt Dickie said.
