Auckland alcohol law change: Why would anyone need to buy liquor at 7am?

Wednesday, 18 October 2017

Under new regulations, you won't be able to reconstruct this photograph after 9pm. (FILE)

Auckland bottle shops will still be allowed to sell alcohol at 7am under a change in trading regulations – but who's actually buying booze at that hour?

Debate has ignited after Auckland Council publicly notified its newly-amended Local Alcohol Policy which will see off-licences forced to close at 9pm, rather than the current 11pm.

The original proposal was to reduce trading hours from 9am-9pm, but that changed after appeals were lodged with the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority.

Supermarkets, in particular, were keen to see shoppers allowed to buy wine or beer from 7am.

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Progressive Enterprises, which owns Countdown, has argued against tightening off-license trading hours.

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Hoping to get a bottle of wine after 9pm? You'll have to leave it 10 hours.

Most bottle stores spoken to by Stuff did not open until 11am or midday.

But who is really buying alcohol at the crack of dawn, and why? That depends on who you talk to.

Retail NZ argues that some Kiwis need to buy their liquor early in the morning.

THE CASE FOR EARLY OPENINGS

A vocal proponent for keeping the early opening hours in Auckland is Retail NZ, which represents retailers. Among them are supermarkets and bottle stores.

The organisation's public affairs general manager, Greg Harford, said 7am was not too early to purchase liquor.

'There's a bit of a misconception that people are immediately drinking alcohol when they buy it,' Harford said.

'But many people are wanting to buy alcohol as part of a regular grocery shop. You might have a family that finishes work at 7 o'clock in the morning; you might have people who want to pick up their groceries before work.

'It is ultimately about our changing Kiwi lifestyles and shopping habits. We live in a world where people don't just work nine to five any more.'

Progressive Enterprises, which owns Countdown supermarkets, lodged an appeal when the council proposed restricting alcohol sales from 9am-9pm.

However, it would not comment on the reasons why when approached this week.

Foodstuffs NZ, which owns a number of supermarkets and bottle shops, is also lodging an appeal, but declined to comment.

'We received the revised Auckland [policy] at the end of last week, and we are now having a look at it,' a Progressive Enterprises spokesperson said.

'We will continue to positively engage with the council on alcohol policy in the city.'

THE CASE AGAINST

Alcohol Healthwatch says it's disappointed that off-licences will still be able to open their doors so early.

It says there are 45,000 Aucklanders who experience alcohol abuse or dependence.

'We want to do everything we can to protect those people from being exposed to alcohol in those early hours,' executive director Dr Nicki Jackson said.

'Our social service providers tell us the morning is very difficult for people with addiction.'

New Zealand Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell could not be reached for comment.

However, he has previously said there was no need for liquor stores to open early in the morning before parents had dropped their children off at school.

'It is clear that there is an increase in alcohol-harm when [opening] hours are increased and a decrease in alcohol-harm when hours are reduced,' he said.

A LACK OF EVIDENCE?

While there are a wealth of studies into the impact of bottle shop closing hours, there is limited research into opening hours.

Experts spoken to by Stuff could only offer anecdotal evidence into how many people buy alcohol in the early morning, and why.

Harford said there was no proof that later opening times would help to curb problem drinking.

But he conceded there was also no evidence to support his claim that opening hours make no difference in terms of alcohol-related harm.

And he didn't know, proportionally, how many people bought alcohol in the early morning.

'As far as I'm aware there's no research into the question of opening hours at all.'

ON THE FENCE

In a Stuff poll that garnered 4300 responses last week, 50 per cent of respondents agreed that bottle shops should be forced to close at 9pm, while 46 per cent disagreed.

Four per cent were undecided.