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A 14-year-old boy who froze to death after binge drinking has prompted a coroner to urge the Government to tighten laws on pre-mixed drinks.
Malcolm Nicoll died last July after he freezing in - 2degC conditions following a night out drinking.
He was found unconscious on a Taupo hockey field, and died from intoxication and hypothermia, an inquest into his death has found.
Malcolm had been drinking pre-mixed Cody's Colt bourbon and colas, which have an alcohol content of 12 per cent.
In his findings, coroner Wallace Bain has urged the Government to tighten the laws around selling and marketing sugary pre-mixed drinks to young people.
The drinks were marketed to attract young people, and the sweetness of them masked their alcohol content, he said.
Malcolm had been skolling the drinks before he died and "it did not take him long to simply become legless", Mr Bain said.
Alcohol Advisory Council chief executive Gerard Vaughan told The Dominion Post that alcohol companies often targeted pre-mixed drinks at teenagers.
The council was encouraging producers to reduce alcohol content in pre-mixed drinks, he said.
- NZPA
