Downtown Community Ministry
Bulletin
4 April 2007-04-03

Uncovered: Liquor deliveries to intoxicated people

Downtown Community Ministry staff are concerned about liquor retailers in the central city delivering alcohol to intoxicated people.

Project Margin Coordinator Di Landy heard about the deliveries at a meeting of health professionals and social workers.

She says a social worker was interrupted during a home visit by a delivery person for a popular liquor outlet and “they proceeded to deliver the alcohol even though the person was in no fit state to receive it”.

This is clearly against the intention of the Sale of Liquor Act which prohibits both the sale and supply of alcohol to intoxicated people.

Not surprised by the practice, Community Detox Nurse Moira Gilmore at Capital and Coast District Health Board says, “It’s general knowledge that it happens and clients use a variety of strategies to get it”.

“I’ve heard about intoxicated people physically unable to get down to the bottle store ringing up the store for a delivery or even getting a taxi to collect it for them.”

Di says, “We know people have a right to buy alcohol but not if they’re intoxicated and any retailer that supplies it to them is breaking the law.
“Many of the people getting these deliveries are chronic alcoholics and are repeat visits to the Accident and Emergency department after over dosing on alcohol.

“Certainly there are questions to ask about delivering alcohol to known abusers, but they also need to be held legally responsible for delivering to people that are found to be intoxicated.”

ENDS

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