Newspaper names, shames drink drivers

A NEWSPAPER in a busy New Zealand resort town has decided to take a stand against drink driving by filling its front page with the names, ages and alcohol readings for about 100 people convicted of the offence this year.

Queenstown’s breathtaking scenery, adventure sports and skiing have made it a must-see destination for millions of tourists visiting New Zealand, but its vibrant night-life has also contributed to what some describe as an epidemic of drink driving.

Convictions have fallen by one-third across New Zealand over the past five years, but they’ve risen in Queenstown, according to the Mountain Scene, which put the offenders on its cover of this week’s edition. With about 100 names, there was no room on the page for other stories.

Editor David Williams said the paper would continue to name and shame people on the front page for the rest of the year.

Williams said there had been strong reactions both for and against the campaign.

That was reflected on the paper’s Facebook page. One commenter wrote: “Are you absolutely kidding me? What about their children,” while another said: “Would you prefer a list of those who have been harmed or killed by these totally irresponsible people.”