Police get tough on after-ball parties

Lexi Bunting and her friends scrapped the party idea because $79 was too much on top of the $115 ball ticket. Photo / Janna Dixon

Authorities want tougher liquor laws to stop party promoters holding all-you-can-drink after-ball events for teens.

Police say event organisers are exploiting grey areas in legislation, despite tough warnings about serving alcohol to minors at after-parties.

Students pay up to $80 for tickets to the events - generally held at disused warehouses - which include transport and, in some cases, unlimited alcohol.

Early this morning, police followed students leaving Pakuranga College's ball to an Onehunga warehouse where the teenagers planned an alcohol-fuelled after party.

Parents of those attending had signed a permission slip saying the party was a "private social gathering," where alcohol "may or may not be served by parents".

Central Auckland police chief Inspector Andrew Coster believed that was still illegal - but the law needed to be clearer.

"It's the view of Auckland City police that if you've got effectively a commercial arrangement where you've supplied a venue and you've sold tickets and you're supplying alcohol, then that is not in the nature of a social gathering."

The students arrived at the warehouse to discover the alcohol had been removed.

The police submission to the Law Commission's review of liquor laws called for changes to stamp out such events.

Paul Radich from the Manukau District Licensing Agency said it had been made clear to schools there would be no tolerance for "commercial people turning an illegal event into a money-making exercise".

The hardline approach led to one organiser holding a party for Papakura's Rosehill College shifting its event out of the district. Acting principal Sue Blakely said she was unaware of the party, which was against school policy.

"We've had notices in our student notices, on the front page of our website and in the newsletter that we issue weekly talking about the fact that these are illegal, and the school directs students not to be involved."

Blakely said she had spoken to one parent who was believed to have been organising a party, and would speak to them again. A letter would also be sent to all parents.

Last year Rosehill's after-ball was held in Manurewa. Police shut it down and three students were taken to hospital.

Students taking part in after-parties last year prompted Rangitoto College to ban this year's ball.

"It's nice that we're not having to worry about such things, so our focus can be on teaching and learning," said acting principal Don Hastie.

Principals Council chairwoman Julia Davidson said after-ball parties were the bane of every principal's existence. "We are worried every time one is on. Schools put on balls but they have no control over what happens at the after-party."

Most companies involved in organising after-parties were not commenting yesterday.

Alcohol watchdogs said such events created a dangerous environment for teens, and would be illegal in any licensed premises.

Alcohol Advisory Council environments and settings manager Andrew Galloway said police needed powers to "take these guys to task".

"What they're doing is running dangerous events and breaking the law by selling alcohol to minors."

Christine Calin, chief executive of Odyssey House, which provides treatment for addiction, said there needed to be a culture shift in attitudes towards drinking.

"Unfortunately a lot of young people see alcohol abuse as a rite of passage into adulthood."

Students offered all they could drink for extra $9

Students at an Auckland college were offered unlimited booze for their after-ball party for just $9 a head.

Lexi Bunting, 17, and two friends approached event company Zeesh, which said it would charge students $70 a ticket - plus an additional $9 each for unlimited alcohol.

"He promised us he'd never run out of alcohol before and he'd been doing it for years," Bunting said.

But the party was scrapped after the teens decided the price was too high for most students, particularly after paying $115 for ball tickets.

They considered having an alcohol-free night, but "at the end of the day no one's going to come to an event without alcohol, they'd rather hang out with their friends at their house and drink".

The girls from Strathallan College in Papakura had earlier tried to organise their own warehouse party and provide security, transport and have parents serve alcohol for $45 a person.

When they approached police for advice, they were told it would be illegal to serve alcohol and were forced to change their plans.

Zeesh directors Chris Parker and Nash Vazifdar could not be reached for comment.

60: percentage of secondary students who drink alcohol.

54: percentage who get it from their parents.

16: percentage told by friends or family to cut down.