21 May 2015

Booze delivery firm takes down website

1:02 pm on 21 May 2015

A website offering to deliver alcohol to peoples' homes in less than an hour has been pulled down temporarily after a backlash from medical authorities.

Quenched.co.nz sells alcohol online and delivers it to Wellington customers within 45 minutes.

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Photo: Quenched website

The founders of Quenched say the site has been taken down as a temporary measure until they have a chance to work out their next step.

New Zealand Medical Association chairman Stephen Child said site flew in the face of what alcohol harm campaigners were trying to achieve.

"We are trying to regulate the use of the commodity to try and increase the chances that it'll be used in a responsible manner

"Sites and businesses like this that are just working against that responsible sale of alcohol are what we're trying to regulate against

But Wellington manager of Hospitality New Zealand Jeremy Smith said Quenched would make little difference to the availability of alcohol.

He says many retailers already sell online and sometimes do not check ID on delivery.

"You can order - it asks you to tick a box saying that you're over 18 but if there's a courier company dropping alcohol off at the front door, who's to say who can access it."

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Photo: RNZ / Philippa Tolley

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