Tauranga Safe City is taking its responsible drinking message to Bayfair Shopping Centre to help educate parents on how best to discuss alcohol related issues with teenagers.

Youth drinking is a growing problem in New Zealand and Tauranga Safe City is hoping to help parents help their own children by talking with them at Bayfair.

A stall is open at the mall until April 19 and coincides with an Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand TV advertising campaign called 'Ease up on the drink'.
"We will be concentrating on the themes of parents having a plan and being responsible about supplying teenagers with alcohol," says Tauranga Safe City coordinator Michael Mills.
"People need to be clear about expectations (relating to alcohol use). Let's get things out and talk about them rather than parents feeling they're blackmailed because 'it's what everyone else does'."
A team of counsellors will man the stall at Bayfair and are keen to talk with any parent on the issue of youth drinking.