But a public health professor is comparing the practice of selling single-serve liquor to tactics formerly used by tobacco retailers.
Economist Dr Eric Crampton, who works for free-market public policy think-tank The New Zealand Initiative, said limiting single-serve alcohol could become problematic.
"Single-serve sales will be important for retailers selling craft beer that sells by the single serve," Dr Crampton said.
"They can also be important in places where customers do not like keeping a lot of too-tempting alcohol at home and constrain themselves against consuming too much by buying only a single serving at a time."
However, public health emeritus professor Jennie Connor said selling single-serve alcohol was reminiscent of retailers selling single-issue tobacco back in the day.
"It increases access for children and young people in general. It makes it so affordable that you’re never put off by the price," she said.
"It lowers the barrier to having a drink."
Prof Connor said there were more alcohol outlets in poorer areas already.
"The big issue is that it’s unfair," Prof Connor said.
"Multiple cheap outlets in the same area promotes more drinking. People make different decisions because of the environment."
The comments come as the Dunedin district licensing committee meets to discuss two separate applications - Liquorland Andersons Bay and Cableways Liquorland - for off-licences.
In the case of both, the police have objected to the applications and are seeking additional conditions of no single unit sales of beer, cider or RTDs at or less than $6 per unit, and no external advertising or promotion of alcohol.
Dr Crampton said "if single-serve sales, for example, are actually harmful, they should be precluded from sensitive areas through the local alcohol policy rather than through police stand-over tactics".
Alcohol harm and prevention officer Sgt Steve Jones said the police assessed each application on a case-by-case basis.
"We take the steps we believe would lead to harm minimisation," Sgt Jones said.
"At the end of the day it is entirely up to the district licensing committee as to what conditions they impose."
Police had several issues with the selling of single-serve alcohol, Sgt Jones said.
"The price points make it more available to the more vulnerable people, and limiting such products from those vulnerable people is a plank of harm minimisation," he said.
Police made similar objections to Pak’nSave Dunedin, in Hillside Rd, where they disagreed with the store’s wish to sell single-serve high-alcohol liquor.
The district licensing committee eventually decided in favour of Pak’nSave Dunedin.
The district licensing committee will assess the applications for Cableways Liquorland today and Liquorland Andersons Bay next Tuesday.
