By Kim Choe and Dylan Moran
Disturbing video has been posted on YouTube of a visibly drunk young boy at a Hamilton skate park.
The primary school-aged child appears heavily intoxicated and at one point claims to have drunk 18 cans of Cody's pre-mixed bourbon - a drink with an alcohol content of 7 percent.
He says an aunt gave him the alcohol, and also claims to have smoked marijuana.
In the video, a man, who says he is the child's older brother, can be heard explaining the behaviour.
"He's Maori bro, he's different [...] we drink at any time. It doesn't matter bro," he says.
"I've been drinking since the age of nine, 'G'. He's alright 'G', straight up."
The child directs a string of obscenities towards the people filming the video and says this is not the first time he has had alcohol.
"I've got drunk before. My mum lets me drink."
The video was filmed at Fairfield Park by scooter and film enthusiast Bradley Goudie, who posted it to YouTube yesterday. Police have confirmed they are aware of the incident, and will brief media later today.
Mr Goudie says the incident was reported to police and says it exposes a huge issue in New Zealand culture.
"Skate parks all over the country are used by upcoming thugs as a sort of training area for bad behaviour because there are never surveillance cameras or consistent rules/regulations," he writes.
People at the skate park this afternoon told 3 News such behaviour is not uncommon among regulars, with one saying he actively tries to stop teenagers from drinking and smoking at the park.
Stephen King, director of the Alcohol & Drug Community Support Trust, says the video does not surprise him, given the lack of attention society pays to alcohol as a drug.
"I think it's an indictment of the overall culture and where we've got to with alcohol in this country," he says.
"It's that drinking culture and the acceptability of alcohol. That affects the attitude of everyone, including our children.
Mr King says young people, whose brains are still developing, face numerous health risks when they consume alcohol.
3 News
source: newshub archive
