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For the first time police are taking a prosecution against an alcohol company for giving away large amounts of alcohol to a Dunedin student flat.
Police national manager of alcohol harm prevention, Inspector Ian Paulin, said the alcohol company is accused of breaching Section 237 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, which relates to the irresponsible promotion of alcohol.
Police will be seeking suspension of the company's liquor licence.
Inspector Paulin said the company gave a well-known Dunedin student flat 281 1.25 litre bottles of alcohol.
"This is an extremely vulnerable community of young people that is well known for drinking activities during O-week, and to have that much alcohol delivered free to one flat is in our view irresponsible. And it is all based upon promoting their product to this community and this can be done in a much better way than dumping that much alcohol."
He said police have been aware of alcohol companies giving away large amounts of alcohol to Dunedin flats in the past, but have never been able to gather the evidence to take a prosecution.
"From a young students point of view, they don't want to cut off the supply of free alcohol or be the flat or people who are named as stopping it from happening in the future."
On this occasion a police patrol walking past saw the delivery of the products, and were able to give evidence, he said.
Inspector Paulin said the Alcohol Licensing Authority decided they want to hear the case, rather than coming to an agreed facts prosecution, but a date has not yet been set for the hearing.
