A Wellington mum is speaking out after her 16-year old son was hospitalised seven times over six weeks after members of the public supplied alcohol to him.
The mum, who doesn't want to be named, says social supply of alcohol, or better known as shoulder-tapping, has been the source of alcohol for her teenage son since May.
"He gets it mainly by standing outside the bottle store and asking people to buy it for him as they go in."
She told Newshub the amount of alcohol provided to children standing outside of bottle stores can sometimes come in litres.
"He can drink a whole bottle of spirits straight in about two hours."
The young teenager has been found unconscious in central Wellington from the amount of alcohol he has consumed.
But his mum says he isn't the youngest amongst his group of friends who shoulder tap customers for alcohol.
"They're the same age or even younger, 14-year-olds getting so drunk that an ambulance has to pick them up when they're obliterated."
Director of Alcohol HealthWatch Doctor Nikki Jackson says New Zealand's low alcohol price is enabling adolescent drinking.
"We have things like RTDs in 1.25 litres sold for under $10, that enables young people to drink for pocket money prices."
Jackson says New Zealand's drinking culture is working against families who struggle with alcohol addiction.
"When our environment encourages drinking and it's pro drinking, it's our communities and parents up against that environment."
The mum told Newshub it's stressful always worrying about what will happen next.
"It's an all-encompassing nightmare, it's all we talk about and all we think about."
The teenager's parents spent seven weeks desperately begging to have him admitted to a rehabilitation centre since his first admission to hospital.
But because of the age of the young teenager, he had to admit himself. Not wanting to go to rehab, that left his parents helpless.
Finally, the seventh time he was admitted to hospital, the young teenager agreed to go to a rehab centre in Wellington.
"It's such a relief that he is there and safe and not out getting obliterated every night."
The boy’s mum is asking the public to stop and think about what they're doing.
"Educate yourselves on the danger of alcohol and what it actually does to a young brain."
