Call to ban absinthe sales

A Southland cop is calling for a nationwide ban on the spirit absinthe after a teenager nearly died from drinking it.

Sergeant John Harris said yesterday absinthe had the highest alcohol by volume content for a spirit sold in this country.

New Zealand already had enough of an alcohol problem without having something as strong as absinthe for sale to anyone over the age of 18 years, he told The Southland Times,

He said he would like to see the drink banned everywhere and applauded Southland's two licensing trusts for pulling the potent spirit off their shelves.

Absinthe ranges in strength from 69 to 89.9 per cent alcohol content, with a few shots of the latter almost killing Gore teenager Marc Hansen four weeks ago.

The 17-year-old stopped breathing three times before being put on life support at Southland Hospital.

-NZPA