A doctor says a drive down the road in her community on recycling day speaks volumes about alcohol abuse.
Almost every bin, Raumanga Medical Centre's Glenys Currie said, was "full to overflowing" with drained beer cans, wine bottles and other alcohol packaging.
"This is a community where most struggle to pay their medical bills. Many complain they don't have enough money to adequately feed and clothe their children. The majority are on welfare benefits," Dr Currie said.
The GP was appealing to Whangarei District Councillors as part of the oral submissions on the council's draft Local Alcohol Policy (LAP), which finished on Monday. The submissions painted a bleak picture of alcohol abuse in Northland and mainly urged stronger restrictions on where and when alcohol was sold.
Dr Currie said she saw a patient every day with "obvious alcohol-related harm" and reducing alcohol availability was a crucial step in solving this.