Southland and Invercargill need to take a stronger approach regarding their local alcohol policy, including earlier closing times, an advocate says.
Alcohol Healthwatch health promotion adviser Nathan Cowie spoke at a meeting of the Southland District Council and Invercargill City Council joint committee yesterday at which the councils' review of their combined local alcohol policy was discussed.
Mr Cowie said the region had high levels of heavy episodic drinking, especially in relation to males.
He suggested the councils consider earlier closing times for all types of licences.
In the review document, the joint committee proposed a closing time of 1am for Invercargill non-CBD areas and 3am for the Southland District. However, Mr Cowie suggested an earlier closing time of 1am for the whole region.
For club licences, he recommended maximum trading hours of 8am to 11pm instead of 8am to 3am.
''Restricting the trading hours of licensed premises is likely to have one of the greatest impacts on reducing harm,'' he said.
For off-licence premises Mr Cowie also suggested a reduction from 7am to 11pm to 10am to 9pm.
''New Zealand research has shown that the purchase of alcohol from an off-licence premises after 10pm was approximately twice as likely to be made by heavier drinkers.''
Another submitter, Health Promotion Agency general manager policy, research and advice Cath Edmonson, agreed with Mr Cowie.
She said there was a relationship between on-licence trading hours and levels of harm, with ''substantial increases in assaults for every additional hour of trading''.
The managing director of Invercargill Brewery for 18 years before it went into receivership in March last year, Steve Nally, disagreed.
He believed it was better for people to drink in a controlled environment such as a pub than in their homes.
''It is the whole social environment aspect. We need more people going out . . . people together, with other people- not drinking alone in their homes.''
