Drunken drivers’ details replace stories on front page of weekly

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

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

Convictions have fallen by one-third across New Zealand over the past five years, but they’ve risen in Queenstown, according to the weekly Mountain Scene, which listed details of the offenders on its cover of this week’s edition.

With about 100 names, there was no room on the page for other news.

Editor David Williams said the paper will continue to name and shame people on the front page for the rest of the year as the convictions roll in the district of about 30,000 people.

He said tourism growth and a building boom were bringing more people into the town and it was disappointing to see so many young people getting convicted.

He hopes the newspaper’s campaign will help change behavior.

“For some people, it is a party town,” he said. “But partying doesn’t mean you get into your car at the end of the night. There are plenty of taxi services. There is no excuse.”

He said the start of the campaign coincided with the sentencing of a man to more than two years in prison after he lost control of his car while drunk and hit a woman on the sidewalk.

Williams said there have 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.”

Queenstown Mayor Jim Boult said he thought it was good the media was taking a proactive approach.

“Anyone who drives after too much to drink is a criminal,” he said.

The campaign is carried out by the Mountain Scene, which prints 16,500 free copies.

Queenstown is one of the country’s most popular tourist spots, attracting more than 2 million visitors each year.