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Harmful alcohol use costs New Zealand billions of dollars, though it’s hard to put an exact figure on it.

Alcohol use was estimated to cost New Zealand $4.9 billion per year in 2006, with other estimates ranging between $734 million and $16.1 billion (according to a 2009 Business & Economic Research report into the costs of alcohol and other harmful drug use).

The 2010 Law Commission Review described New Zealand as having “unbridled commercialisation of alcohol”. This commercial model is causing a lot of harm to individuals and communities. But addressing social and environmental factors can help reduce these harms.

Key documents for download:

The Drug Foundation has been advocating for tighter alcohol regulations for many years. Here's two of the submissions we've presented to parliament.

Submission on the SSAA Renewal of Licences Amendment Bill No 2 and SOP no 15 ( PDF 230kb )

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