18 Sep 2016

Call to curb alcohol marketing, cost, availability

9:42 pm on 18 September 2016

An alcohol watchdog hopes a survey that shows more than one in four teens aged between 15 and 17 often drink a risky amount of alcohol serves as a sharp wake-up call.

alcohol drinks

alcohol drinks Photo: 123RF

About 27 percent of the teens questioned for the survey, carried out for the Health Promotion Agency, said they had at least eight drinks the last time they consumed more than two drinks of alcohol.

More than 50 percent said they had had five or more drinks.

Alcohol Healthwatch director Rebecca Williams said more needed to be done to reduce the availability and cost of liquor, and the marketing of alcohol.

"We know that young people are exposed to a lot of alcohol advertising and it does influence their thinking and their behaviour in relation to their consumption," she said.

"Adults are strong role models, there's a long way we can go before the adults in New Zealand society are actually presenting much better role modelling around alcohol consumption."