Take Action
Here's how you can take action to protect our stunning outdoor spaces.
Get Prepared
Alcohol-free great outdoors
Terriorial Authorities (local Councils) can implement alcohol bylaws (alcohol bans) in public places, including beaches. Here are some examples:
- In Auckland region, an alcohol ban is in place at Takapuna beach between 9pm to 7 am during daylight savings and between 7pm to 7am outside daylight savings
- Alcohol use is prohibited at Piha (Auckland) beach during certain times of the year (e.g. Labour weekend to after Easter);
- In Nelson, alcohol is prohibited between 9pm to 7am at Tahunanui Reserve Beach and Lions Playground (Tahunanui Reserve)
For more information on alcohol bylaws/bans in public places, please check out the sub-section - Alcohol in public places.
Camping grounds in New Zealand can be owned by local Councils, Department of Conservation or private companies.
Regional Parks are not currently alcohol-free. Regional Councils do not have the powers to make alcohol bylaws / bans. You could always approach them to create their own policy.
Boating and alcohol
You can be prosecuted for operating a boat in a manner that causes unnecessary danger, under section 65 of the Maritime Transport Act.
If you’ve been drinking, the risks escalate the moment you end up in the water. Alcohol can:
- decrease your coordination and ability to perform a simple task, such as putting on a lifejacket
- increase your sense of disorientation
- make it harder for you to stay afloat
- lower the concentrations of blood going to your brain and muscles, contributing to muscle, heat and fluid loss and speeding up the onset of hypothermia
- reduce your ability to hold your breath
- suppress your airway protection reflexes so you are more likely to inhale water
- give you a false sense of your situation, causing you to attempt tasks beyond your abilities; and reduce your awareness of the onset of hypothermia.
Case for Change
Many New Zealanders consume alcohol in outdoor public places.
There may be bans on alcohol consumption in some outdoor spaces, in certain times of the day or year.
Large gatherings of people in outdoor spaces can present risks for alcohol-related harm. This is especially so during festive occasions such as New Year's Eve.
Alcohol use poses high risks at events that involve water-based activities. Impairment begins well below intoxication levels - this is very important to keep in mind.
Alcohol plays a role in New Zealand's horrific drowning statistics.
Alcohol and the great outdoors
New Zealand has amazing outdoor areas (regional parks, beaches, rivers, and lakes, etc.).
Drinking alcohol in these areas present a number of inherent risks to users. Just like local Councils can implement alcohol bans in public places such as beaches, so too can Regional Councils in the parks and open spaces that they manage.
To find out more, check out the sub-section on alcohol and public places as well as addressing alcohol use in public places through using liquor bylaws.
Alcohol use in the great outdoors
When New Zealand drinkers were asked about the locations that they drank alcohol (in 2007/08), around 15% of past-year drinkers reported drinking in outdoor public places [58].
Alcohol use at beaches
As stated above, many beaches may have alcohol bans which prohibit drinking in certain times of the day or year.
Binge drinking may occur in the great outdoors, especially when there are gatherings of many people. [4].
Excessive use of alcohol in public places may cause significant alcohol-related problems and public disorder especially during festive occasions such as New Year's Eve [8]. Alcohol-related problems have also occurred on National Crate Day in previous years:
- In 2016, there were 29 arrests, 6 people were treated for lacerations on their feet caused by broken bottles, and one person was hospitalised for alcohol poisoning [59].
- In 2015, a police riot squad was called to Manly Beach (also in Hibiscus Coast, Auckland), where over 300 people were drinking, to restore order.
In 2017, the Police decided to impose a temporary alcohol ban on the parks and beaches of the Hibiscus Coast over the first weekend of December, in order to prevent the problems of previous years.
Alcohol use and water sports
Alcohol use may pose certain risks when performing outdoor activities. Impairment begins well below intoxication levels - this is very important to keep in mind.
Alcohol use is a risk factor in drowning, with the risk increasing as blood alcohol content increases [60]. Drinking is associated with a 10-fold increase in reckless behaviour such as the violation of safety rules and swimming in unauthorised areas [61]. Blood alcohol levels of 100mg/dl (BAC 0.10) or greater increases the risk of drowning by 16 times [62].
Between 2008 and 2012, 13% of all drowning deaths were alcohol-related. This equates to 71 lives. Alcohol is considered to be a factor in poor supervision of children who have drowned [64].
More than half of these occurred during swimming, fishing and accidentally falling into water [63]. Higher rates are particularly found among Māori, Pacifica, males and young adults [60, 64].
Drinking on boats causes around three deaths each year in New Zealand [65].
Alcohol is also implicated in land-based fishing drownings, paddle-sports fatalities and underwater activities [66-69].
Skippers of recreational boats are not bound by a legal blood alcohol limit.
The economic cost of a fatal drowning is estimated at $3.4 million [70].
There is limited data on alcohol-related non-fatal drownings, near drownings and other aquatic injuries.