'You can leave drunk, you just can't arrive drunk'

Photo / Herald on Sunday

A party consultant is telling high school students how they can get away with taking booze to after-ball parties.

DJ Scott Eichler was contacted by a Herald on Sunday reporter posing as the the older sister of a student who wanted to organise an after-party.

Eichler said students were allowed to take up to four cans of ready-to-drinks (RTDs) or six cans of beer, adding: "You can leave drunk, you just can't arrive drunk."

Eichler, who is based in Hamilton, also told of his close relationship with police.

"We actually invite the police to be there and believe me they leave us alone."

He added: "We have different venues all the time because our preferred venues are actually warehouses and the police have issues there with fire safety ... but we cover that."

Eichler said they could organise a drop-off point for students to leave their alcohol before the event.

"Then that alcohol has their name on it and it can be transported to the venue. And when people enter, what we can do, is actually work out a system that it's their alcohol, they come in with a ticket and we have a number on it and a number on the bag."

When contacted later Eichler said he saw nothing wrong with giving teenagers advice. "We are just passing on the information to the person organising it. We live in the real world and students do drink. We try to provide a safe environment for them."

He acknowledged there would be underage students attending the parties.

Paul Radich from the Manukau District Licensing Agency said anyone allowing minors to drink their own alcohol at an event was in breach of the law.

"We'd be having a crack at them for providing a place of resort for the consumption of liquor, and that's a criminal charge in the district court."

The charge carries a maximum fine of $10,000.

The Herald on Sunday tried to contact directors from other companies who put on after-ball events yesterday.

Directors Chris Parker and Nash Vazifdar from Zeesh could not be reached for comment. Ben Gaines, from afterballs.co.nz, referred questions to another person who could not be reached, and did not return further calls.