A University of Otago student magazine landed itself in hot water after its alcohol-fuelled "boat race" competition was criticised by police.
University of Otago student magazine Critic Te Ārohi posted to its social media platforms a "boat race" event to celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
The event would include the residents of Castle and Leith Sts facing off in a "boat race", a drinking competition where two teams line up and one-by-one down a drink until their entire lineup is finished. The first team to the bottom wins.
However, the event caught the attention of police, who contacted the magazine to say it would breach section 237(1)(a) of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, which deals with the irresponsible promotion of alcohol.
Critic Te Ārohi shut down the event.
Alcohol harm prevention officer Sergeant Steve Jones said the North Dunedin student community was one of the most high-risk communities in the country for alcohol harm.
"I question the responsibility of the decision to hold a ‘boat race’ between Castle St and Leith St towards a community that is well regarded to be struggling from alcohol harm."
The incident was under investigation, he said.
Critic Te Ārohi magazine editor Nina Brown said the "boat race" idea came from a desire to give the student community something fun and communal to do together on St Patrick’s Day.
"Last year there were rumours circulating in North Dunedin of Castle St hosts becoming more exclusive, which in our opinion goes against the culture of the street.
"There were also rumours floating around of Leith St being on the takeover as Dunedin’s best party street, so we thought hosting a classic ‘boat race’ between the two streets would be a good way to draw the student community together and out of their individual flats with a cheeky bit of rivalry."
Miss Brown said her and the other people working at Critic Te Ārohi had no idea they were in breach of the Act and did not think to check.
"We definitely should have in hindsight — I can see why it was taken issue with and I am not about to argue with the police about that.
"When it comes to Castle St and St Paddy’s Day, I think since we’re all students who rarely leave the bubble of North Dunedin, drinking in public is pretty normalised so it didn’t occur to us that it would be in breach, which was our mistake."
