Revealed: The millions spent by ACC on alcohol-related injuries in Tauranga

ACC has paid out $5.3 million to active claims for alcohol-related injuries in the Bay of Plenty in the past five years. Photo/Getty

Fights, falls and broken glass have contributed to the Government paying out more than $5million for booze-related injuries in the Bay of Plenty over the past five years.

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) has paid $5.3 million to active claims for alcohol-related injuries in the region between 2016 and the end of October this year, figures released under the Official Information Act reveal.

Active claims mean claimants can get a payment at any point after being lodged and could be counted over several years.

The majority of these were from Tauranga City and the Western Bay of Plenty District, with $3.99 million paid out for active claims in that time.

This was followed by $734,000 in the Whakatāne District and $580,000 in Rotorua.

The most common injury in the Tauranga and Western Bay were 234 soft tissue injuries which included strains, sprains and bruises, with the most common being a lower back sprain, followed by sprains of the neck, shoulder and ankle.

An ACC spokesman said back injuries were commonly caused by lifting heavy boxes, barrels, kegs and crates, with other injuries mainly caused by slips, trips and falls.

Open wounds made up 180 of the area's claims, with broken bottles and glass injuries to the hands making up a third of these types of injures in the region.

Cuts and scrapes from falling over were also common.

There were 55 dental injury claims in the area, mostly caused by teeth hitting a drinking glass or glass bottle, fights and falling over.

There were also 151 unknown injuries, which a spokesman said was where the medical practitioner didn't identify it in the data.

The results from the Official Information Act request stated that data should not be considered complete as there was a non-mandatory section of the injury claim form which asked for an accident description.

Judea Tavern manager Malkit Singh said alcohol made people louder and boosted their confidence.

Singh said everyone reacted differently and while most people were well-behaved, some became violent and aggressive and needed to be kicked out. Others became emotional.

However, he said they made sure their premises was a place people could feel safe.

Alcohol Action NZ chairman and Mount Maunganui GP Tony Farrell said alcohol was linked to people ending up in wheelchairs after jumping from heights, drink driving and causing driveway accidents every year.

"Alcohol is 'aggressionogenic', so people hurt and kill each other using this drug."

He said injuries happened because alcohol caused intoxication, and it impaired judgment and co-ordination relatively quickly.

Alcohol Action NZ chairman and Mount Maunganui GP Tony Farrell. Photo / File

It disinhibited people and made them more likely to take risks, he said.

He believed the figures were not a true reflection of harm, with many injured in family harm incidents that went unreported.

People also hurt themselves in withdrawal states or hangovers, while fatigue from sleep issues around alcohol was a factor in accidents that were not reported.

He said alcohol was well-known to be a "significant" cause of injury and death, especially after drinking more than six standard drinks on one occasion.

He said one in five people in New Zealand drank like this - about 820,000 people.

NZ Alcohol Beverages Council executive director Bridget MacDonald said it was important to keep safe and social by making sensible decisions and supporting others to do the same.

MacDonald said New Zealand was experiencing a shift in drinking culture and attitudes.

"We are making better decisions about alcohol, and our behaviours are changing, particularly how we drink and socialise and our purchasing decisions. Forty per cent of Kiwis consumed low-alcohol drinks last year. It's being driven by a shift in positive social attitudes toward no- and low-alcohol beverages, which are now seen as socially acceptable."

She said education was the key to reducing alcohol-related harm.

"Make the most of your summer social occasions by moderating how much you drink, considering no- and low-alcohol options, staying hydrated with water, enjoying your drink with some food, and having a plan to get home safely."

The council encourages people to know what a standard drink looks like, stay hydrated and fed when drinking and have a plan to get home safely.

ACC injury prevention programme leader James Whitaker said the stats "speak for themselves" and people needed to "take a step back" and think how individual actions could harm them and others.

"When we're having a few drinks, most of us get to a point when we wonder if it's wise to have more. Listen to the voice inside of you that lets you know when you've had enough.

Whitaker urged people to encourage loved ones to stop drinking, relax and have some food if they seemed like they've had enough.

"They might get a bit grumpy but it's better to have an awkward conversation than to regret not doing anything."

Tauranga Hospital emergency medicine specialist Dr Derek Sage. Photo / File

Tauranga Hospital emergency medicine specialist Dr Derek Sage said the price paid was not always measurable in dollars as there were both physical and mental illnesses linked to alcohol misuse, abuse and addiction.

Sage said there was nothing intrinsically evil about alcohol and it could be part of a good life, in moderation.

Alcohol Healthwatch executive director Dr Nicki Jackson remembered being in a supermarket in Tauranga and everyone in the queue, including the checkout operator, had a close family member harmed by drink driving.

She said the Bay of Plenty District Health Board area had the second-highest prevalence of hazardous drinking, at 28.7 per cent, and higher than national average rates of hospitalisations for conditions related to acute and chronic alcohol use.

She said addressing the low price of alcohol, the high number of liquor outlets and the pervasive marketing would reduce alcohol injuries.