Police ask those planning Xmas function to show some consideration

The legal alcohol limit, it's a limit not a target to reach is the message from Waikato Police to those organising work Christmas functions this summer.

District Road Policing Manager, Inspector Leo Tooman, said if there was one word he wanted event organisers to ponder in their planning it would be 'consider'.

"We want them to consider spending less on alcohol and more on providing a complete package- that package would include having a range of non-alcoholic drinks available, substantial food on hand right from the start and transport to ensure everyone gets home safely.

"Gone are the days where you try and sew up the young apprentice, imagine if you allowed your staff to get tanked up at the work party and they went on to crash their car and kill themselves or someone else, there wouldn't be much festive spirit around the office then."

Already this year young people, in breach of their graduated licences, have been involved in three double fatality crashes and one triple fatality crash.

"This says to us our young people are particularly vulnerable but they are not the only ones, 18 of the 48 people who have lost their lives on Waikato roads this year died in crashes where alcohol was a contributing factor and they were people from across the age spectrum.

"With a bit of 'consider-ation' we can remove alcohol as a factor, with simple steps such as providing transport home for workers after your function- think what you could be saving."

Mr Tooman said company Christmas functions were about celebrating the festive season and welcoming in the summer holiday break with workmates, not about drinking to excess.

"What we're trying to do is avoid that empty space on the workshop floor when everyone comes back to work in January."

Mr Tooman said no one wants to see the desk beside them empty when they return to work because a workmate who is now on remand, in hospital or even worse in a grave.

"Consider that and then consider how easy it would be to avoid by simply organising your staff function responsibly."