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News
Boozers live near off-licences
A study has revealed that people who live closer to an off-licence store are more likely to become binge drinkers.
The University of Otago report has been revealed just prior to the NZ government’s introduction of its Alcohol Reform Bill to parliament.
The study reportedly found that binge drinking increases by 4% with each off-licence store that opens within a kilometre of that person’s house.
Speaking about the results, lead researcher and Otago University professor Jennie Connor told TVNZ: “This is a relationship across the whole country. It applies in places with a lot of alcohol outlets and places with few."
Meanwhile, a separate piece of research conducted at Waikato University found that an additional off-licence outlet opening was associated with between 10 and 25 additional police events, and an additional two to four motor vehicle accidents.
The NZ government’s Liquor Reform Bill will be introduced to the house in the next week, with public submissions called for at select committee stage.
Jane Parkinson, 01.11.2010