Calculation fail for booze tool
An online booze calculator recommending some party goers need up to three bottles of wine in a night, could be exposing customers to health and personal safety risks, an alcohol safety group says.
Foodstuffs-owned bottle shop chain Liquorland, could find itself with a nasty hangover if an alcohol calculator featured on its website since July last year, is found to be in breach of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act for irresponsible promotion of alcohol.
The calculator, marketed as a party planning tool, lets customers calculate how much alcohol they need to supply for a party or corporate event based on the duration of the event, how many people will be attending and what type
‘It flies in the face of all advice’.
of drinkers are there.
Liquorland categorises people into ‘‘light tipplers,’’ ‘‘typical drinkers,’’ ‘‘big night-outers’’ and ‘‘nondrinkers.’’
It does not provide options for age, weight, or gender.
Liquorland chief executive Rob Chemaly, said the calculator estimated how much alcohol hosts should purchase, not consume, to avoid running out of alcohol at a party.
The calculator was not illegal said Chemaly, but did ‘‘err on the generous side to ensure the host’s needs were catered for,’’ he said.
But Rebecca Williams, director of alcohol-related harm prevention group Alcohol Healthwatch, said it passed on significant risks and potential liabilities to event hosts.
‘‘It shows complete disregard for the health and safety of their customers and New Zealand communities,’’ Williams said.
‘‘It flies in the face of all advice we have around risky and sensible drinking guidelines.’’
The tool calculates that for an event of four hours, one ‘‘big night outer’’ would need two bottles of wine – the equivalent of more than 15 standard drinks.
That would put an average male more than four times the legal drink driving limit.
Over seven hours it recommends three bottles of wine, or 23 standard drinks.
For beer it recommends 10 bottles – 13 standards – over four hours.
For hosts wanting a mix of alcohol it recommends one bottle of beer, one bottle of wine and one bottle of spirits for one ‘‘big night outer’’.
Williams said the calculator showed a ‘‘blatant disregard of the law and sensible drinking practices’’ through irresponsible promotion of alcohol.
‘‘It’s irresponsibility at the worst degree.’’
Under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act it is against the law to do anything that encourages people, or is likely to encourage people, to consume alcohol in excess.
A breach could result in a fine of up to $10,000 and the suspension of a company’s licence for up to seven days.
Williams said Liquorland was
passing host responsibility onto customers who were being led to believe they were providing safe levels of alcohol based on the party planner’s guidelines.
‘‘They are pretty much encouraging people to cater for and supply alcohol for quite heavy drinking.’’
High levels of guest intoxication put hosts at high risk of injury and violence, she said.
Auckland Regional Public Health Service medical officer of health Richard Hoskins, said he did not like the calculator because it promoted drinking above recommended low-risk alcohol drinking levels.
He also had a problem with use of the term ‘‘typical drinkers’’ because it reinforced a perception that typical drinking was safe and normal.
Crown entity the Health Promotion Agency provides advice and recommendations to Government on the sale and supply of alcohol, the use of alcohol and alcohol related harm.
Policy, research and advice general manager Cath Edmondson said the booze calculator went against the agency’s stance on alcohol consumption.
‘‘It does appear to be out of step with our low-risk drinking advice,’’ Edmondson said.
Its advice was that on any one occasion women should consume no more than four standard drinks and men no more than five.
Liquorland was recommending ‘‘typical drinkers’’ needed about four standard drinks per hour.
Liquorland should consider reviewing the tool, she said.
Marketing expert and Evolve Marketing director Brandon Wilcox said Liquorland should know its legal obligations regarding alcohol advertising.
‘‘They should be well aware of where the line is that they cannot cross,’’ Wilcox said.
‘‘The question is how closely they have arrived at that line and whether they have inadvertently crossed it or not.’’
Liquorland’s calculator did accommodate for light drinkers and non-drinkers which recognised the reality of throwing a party, he said.
He thought it was a good tool because it allowed for a realistic party planning scenario and he did not believe it encouraged excessive consumption of alcohol.
It also provided event organisers with more information to make decisions.
‘‘It’s not necessarily making the decision for them it’s just giving them information which will help them make the decision.’’
Below the calculator is the wording ‘‘please drink responsibly’’ and the page mentions some Liquorland stores offer a return policy on alcohol not consumed.
The Sunday Star-Times approached Justice Minister Amy Adams who was out of the country.
A spokesman for New Zealand Police said they had concerns, but said the promotion would have to be fully assessed before police could comment on whether it broke the law.
‘‘Police have concerns about the promotion of excessive drinking which could put people at further risk of harm,’’ the spokesman said.