Drinking is a 'rite of passage' for Kiwis, new alcohol lobby group head says

March 19, 2018

Nick Leggett says the newly-formed New Zealand Alcohol Beverages Council aims to keep booze on the shelves for responsible consumption.

Big-name breweries, wineries and supermarkets are banding together to form a new lobby group aimed at promoting responsible alcohol consumption.

The New Zealand Alcohol Beverages Council will lobby various groups, especially when laws are to be introduced, with the aim of making sure those who do drink responsibly are not forgotten.

Executive Director of the new group and former Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett, speaking this morning to TVNZ 1's Breakfast, called having a drink "a Kiwi right of passage".

"Alcohol is one of those things that really allows people to come together, it's just like food, and if we're doing it in moderation it can be part of a healthy lifestyle," Mr Leggett said.

He said the group aims to highlight the positives of the alcohol industry, such as the "great number of jobs for New Zealanders" it creates.

"When we go out to a restaurant or a pub, alcohol should be part of that experience," he said.

"We want to make sure that people who drink responsibly are recognised.

"If you make it harder for people to get, you get people drinking on the sly, and this should be open, it should be social."

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