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The festive season is under way for emergency services, with drunken disorder in the lower half of the North Island and in the South island on Saturday night.
Dozens of people were arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour around Wellington and Lower Hutt in particular.
Police were involved in a brief car chase near Wanganui where a young man was taken into custody after the stolen car he was in was stopped.
The theme was repeated in the South Island where a St John Ambulance spokesperson says staff were flat out with alcohol-related incidents.
Drink driving limit may be cut
Meanwhile, the Sunday Star-Times reports that the government is considering slashing the legal drink-driving limit.
The newspaper says that Transport Minister Paul Swain said he favours cutting the limit from 80mg per 100ml to 50mg.
Earlier this month an Auckland lawyer drew attention to a loophole in the law which could see hundreds of guilty drivers escape conviction.
Zahir Mohamed says police have to tell people that if they do not have a blood test, then the result of a breath test will be "conclusive evidence".
But he says the words "sufficient evidence" are being used instead, and he says that could mislead people and mean they are less inclined to take a blood test.
Mohamed says it applies to people charged since the Land Transport Amendment Act came into force last December. He says even people who have pleaded guilty will now be able to appeal.
Police warn that the loophole does not mean people will escape the festive season blitz.
Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald says if people think it means they're going to get away with drink driving at the moment they're "kidding themselves".
Fitzgerald says police have made immediate changes so they comply with the ruling, and will be mounting an appeal against the original case.
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