Alcohol license denied for charity fashion show to support suicide prevention in Dunedin

She said the sale of alcohol was not advertised and was simply another option to non-alcoholic drinks. Free food was also available.

“(The event) is about my personal journey with mental health, an eating disorder and my suicide attempt four years ago. I want to show people that they can come out of a dark place by showing them my journey.

She offered that a name change for the event was possible.

The charity show aims to support the Life Matters Suicide Prevention Trust, a local organization dedicated to mental health initiatives.

Vickery, who has publicly shared her own struggles with the mental health system, hopes the event will “shine a light” on the efforts of those working in the mental health field.

Vickery’s application outlined that a limited amount of alcohol would be served during the event, with a halt to bar sales 30 minutes before the end and a commitment to pause alcohol service while the models are on the catwalk.

Continuous free food service and free water were also included in its plans to promote responsible alcohol consumption.

However, both police and licensing inspectors have raised objections, citing concerns about the relationship between alcohol consumption and suicide.

They argue that granting the license would breach section 4 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, which requires harm from alcohol consumption to be kept to a minimum.

Sergeant Steve Jones said the sale of alcohol going to a suicide prevention charity, and the consumption of alcohol at the event, was “harmful and inappropriate”.

Police recently presented research from the University of Otago that linked deaths by suicide to the acute consumption of alcohol.

“The conclusions of this study show that acute alcohol use was identified in more than a quarter of all deaths.”

He said police had spoken to the organizer about their concerns and no alcohol options for the event had been discussed.

The licensing inspector said Vickery’s application was of high quality and she appeared willing to address the concerns of other agencies.

“Due to the known relationship between alcohol and suicide, the appropriateness of consuming alcohol at a suicide prevention fundraiser has been questioned. The intention of this event is commended, but it is unclear why alcohol should be part of this event at all and the message of alcohol being present at such an event goes out to the wider community.”

Although the application was initially submitted electronically on October 4, council records show the application was not received until October 21, possibly due to an electronic error.

With no objection raised by the Medical Officer of Health, the decision now rests on a short notice hearing on Friday, November 1, where the District Licensing Committee will deliberate between both parties to decide whether the license can be granted.

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Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, based in Dunedin.

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