An Alexandra man faces a charge of supplying alcohol to a minor, after a recent party in the town at which two 15-year-olds became ''heavily intoxicated'', police say.
Sergeant Matt Alley, of Alexandra, said about a dozen teenagers, aged 13-15, were at the March 23 party, unsupervised by any adults.
Police were contacted by members of the public about disorder at the party and when they arrived, they found two 15-year-olds who were ''heavily intoxicated'', Sgt Alley said. Police contacted the parents and took the two teenagers home.
An 18-year-old man will appear in the Alexandra District Court on May 14 to face a ''representative'' charge of supplying alcohol to a minor.
Police would be stringently enforcing the new alcohol laws, Sgt Alley warned.
''It is disturbing that 13-year-olds are out and concerning that their parents a) don't know where their kids are or b) what they're up to,'' he said.
This was the second time Central Otago police had laid a charge of supplying alcohol to a minor since the new alcohol laws came into effect, Sgt Alley said. The first involved a 51-year-old Central Otago man, whose name was suppressed, who was convicted in the Alexandra District Court on March 19 on three charges of supplying alcohol to a person under the age of 18.
The man appeared before justices of the peace and was fined $950 on each charge.
