New Zealanders under the age of 18 will only be allowed to watch Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why in the company of their parents after the show was reclassified.

The release of the show, which deals with the effects of a teen suicide on friends, family and the classmates she blames for her death, has seen the Office of Film & Literature Classification create a new category, known as RP18.

While hugely successful, 13 Reasons Why has generated controversy since it fitst aired, with mental health charities accusing producers of glorifying suicide.

New Zealand currently has the highest rate of teen suicide in the developed world - a statistic that prompted the introduction of the new rating.

"The most immediate concern for the Classification Office is how teen suicide is discussed and shown in 13 Reasons Why," says a statement by the Office of Film & Literature Classification.

"Hannah's suicide is presented fatalistically. Her death is represented at times as not only a logical, but an unavoidable outcome of the events that follow.

"Suicide should not be presented to anyone as being the result of clear headed thinking.

"Suicide is preventable, and most people who experience suicidal thoughts are not thinking rationally and therefore cannot make logical decisions."

US comapny Netflix also says it took precautions when making the show.

"We knew the material covered sensitive topics, as the book did when it was published in 2007, and we worked with mental health experts to show how these issues impact teens in real and dramatic ways," says a statement given to the BBC's Newsbeat.

-Newsie